


Watch For Me By Moonlight

by Templarlady



Category: True Blood
Genre: F/M, Romance, Sexual Content, Supernatural Elements
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-25
Updated: 2013-10-15
Packaged: 2017-12-24 15:17:25
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 24
Words: 35,689
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/941469
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Templarlady/pseuds/Templarlady
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bill's association with Queen Mab leads to a sequence of events which will change Bill and Alex's relationship for ever.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

I'd been working as Queen Mab's ambassador for about eighteen months before she told me about the book.

I had negotiated a few visits to meetings of the Authority for her and they had gone very well. They had certainly been well attended since, as soon as word got out amongst the members, everyone who could possibly inveigle their way in for whatever reason had tried to insist that they were vital to the discussion at hand. Including a few who hadn’t turned up to a meeting for decades!

At first she and Lilith treated one another with the wary courtesy of a couple of cats meeting up on neutral territory. Lily appeared to have the upper hand as Mab came to the Authority’s headquarters, making her technically Lily’s guest, although Mab’s sudden appearance through what appeared to be a solid wall was somewhat disturbing and endowed her with a sense of tremendous power even to us.

I was amused to note that, after her first visit during which she sat beside me and consulted me frequently, some of the respect she had received from the older vampires began to rub off on me. I had gained quite a bit of influence, particularly from the more religiously inclined, due to my close association with Lily and now, as it appeared that there was another powerful woman who respected and admired me, they appeared to be revising their opinions even further. The fact that I was happily married to a human woman seemed to puzzle many of them. I suspect that, in my place, they would have dumped Alex and tried to take up with Lily or Mab. Personally, even if I had never met Alex I would consider either of them far too dangerous to get involved with! I knew Lilith intimately and I was well aware of what she was capable of. 

Mab on the other hand was an unknown quantity at first. I knew that she was powerful but I had no idea of quite how ruthless she could be until the first time she took me to visit her Court. When she wished to speak with me she usually came either to The Mill House or to our cottage in Faery. She seemed always to know where I was and I guessed that she was using the opal ring I wore to track me, however I didn’t object to this as she did not appear very often.

On one occasion she asked if I would accompany her to her Court as there were those of her subjects who wished to see me in person. “I will personally vouch for your safety William, you have nothing to fear” she assured me when I paused before replying to her invitation.

“Thank you. Then I will be happy to accompany you my lady” I replied politely.

She appeared at the Mill House the very next night and offered me her hand. I gave Alex a kiss on the cheek and walked over to Mab, taking her hand. Immediately I felt that tingle as she pulled us between the worlds. When we reached Faery we found a Sabiru waiting for us. Mab smiled at my obvious surprise. “He will protect you while you are at my Court William. I may be.......otherwise engaged.”

Since the creature was seven and a half feet tall and appeared to be made of tough stringy muscle I felt confident that he could do the job.

“Does he have a name?” I asked.

“Not as such” said Mab. “They are.......perhaps “clones” is the nearest human expression. They consider themselves to be brothers, but this individual was captured by a witch and held prisoner in the New World. He was released from his pain and assisted to return to me by a vampire......”

She smiled at me. “He requested this assignment himself. Asked to be allowed to serve you William. This is almost unheard of amongst the Sabiri.”

I smiled at the Sabiru who gave me a nod in return, the vicious teeth in the long, dog like jaws meant that smiling was not really an option. I looked around to see that Mab had brought me to a small clearing in a wood. About five hundred yards in front of us I could see through the trees what appeared to be a grey granite cliff face and we began to walk towards it. I was uncomfortably aware of the fact that there were Fae in the woods all around us. I could feel their eyes on me and was glad of the presence of the Sabiru at my side. After a minute or two we came out of the trees into a broad clearing before a semi-circle of rocks at the centre of which was a carved stone throne. There was a small stream running beside the throne and across the clearing into the woods. The Throne itself appeared to be made of a snow white marble and had a high curved back and arms carved with an intricate pattern of roses. But, beautiful though it was, I found that my eye was drawn higher to the cliff behind it. 

The grey granite of the rock was broken immediately behind the throne by the glistening blue green of ice. To my astonishment I saw that a frozen waterfall fell from the cliff to the base of Mab's throne and fed the little stream. As we walked closer I noticed something else. At first I imagined it was some flaw in the ice, perhaps a fault in the rock beneath, but as I got closer there could be no doubt. It was a body. A human body, frozen into the ice.

I walked slowly over to the wall of ice and peered in. It was like looking through milky glass but I could clearly see the figure hanging suspended inside, arms outstretched, patches of ice around the bare flesh tinged pink with frozen blood. I looked up at the face........it was the eyes I recognised. Those cold grey eyes.

“Lazlo!” I whispered, turning back to Mab. “Is he.....?”

“He is being punished!” she said harshly. “Would you tell me that he does not deserve to suffer?”

“Ah.......no! No I wouldn't say that. In fact I agree with you but......” I turned back to look at the body pinned, spreadeagled in the ice like an insect on a board. “He still.......survives?” I asked. 

“Oh yes!” she gave me that cold little smile, the one that always worried me. “He is as 'alive' as he ever was. He feels the agony of the cold sinking into his very bones. On occasion, when I melt the ice, he is released and I permit my ladies to bathe and clean him, even to feed him. After all I don't wish him to starve! I want him to suffer!” Her sparkling opalescent eyes were fixed on me, seemingly searching for a trace of weakness. “Then he is returned to the ice again.”

“Will you ever release him?” I asked in a hushed tone.

“Perhaps, one day, when I feel that he has suffered enough.” She smiled again. “But it will not be for a very long time and he will never be permitted to return to your world for by then he will be completely insane.”

I shivered. “I don't think I'll be mentioning this to Azaria.” I said.

“No, probably it would be better if you did not.”


	2. Chapter 2

I turned and saw that, while we had been speaking, the clearing had filled up with Fae. There must have been about twenty creatures in the clearing, most of which could pass for human, but there were several who were very different. There were half a dozen Sabiri scattered through the group and I noticed that, rather than watching Mab, their eyes were directed outwards towards the woods, scanning for any trouble. Towards the back of the crowd I noticed two young women who looked familiar. One I recognised as Aislynn. The other had large rounded eyes and long green hair just like the creature Alex and I had surprised in the lake. As I watched her she seemed to feel my eyes on her and turned to look at me. I smiled at her and she turned away, saying something to Aislynn who smiled back at me.

While I had been gazing around at the crowd Mab had mounted the steps to her throne and sat down. The Sabiru placed a hand on my arm and drew me back a little so that I stood behind and slightly to one side of it. Then Mab raised a hand and the low hum of voices ceased. She began to speak in a language I did not understand but as she placed a hand on my arm I understood that she was introducing me to her people, or at least, those of them of sufficient rank to attend her court. I scanned the faces as she spoke and it was clear that not all of them were pleased to see me!

After about ten minutes I felt the Sabiru next to me tense. His head went up and he sniffed at the air. I glanced across at Mab and saw that she was looking out into the forest. The area where her gaze was directed was dark, darker than usual I realised suddenly. Normal lack of light was no barrier to my sight but somehow I couldn't quite penetrate this darkness........ or could I? I could see something, the suggestion of shadowy figures, like denser smoke in the mist. Led by a rider mounted on a great black horse, a tall cloaked figure with..........was that a helmet bearing a pair of great curved antlers? Then I heard a faint sound like the baying of hounds in the distance.

Mab rose from her throne and put a hand on my arm again. “Welcome my lord! This is the vampire of whom I have spoken, my ambassador to the mortal plane.”

The great antlered head turned towards me and I saw two deep red eyes staring out at me for a moment. Then, as suddenly as they had arrived.....they were gone, melting back into the forest like ghosts. I remained standing silently beside my guardian for a while longer until Mab's business was concluded and the Fae lords and ladies had dispersed into the woods.

Mab then stood up with a smile and took my hand again. “Let us go William” she said and a moment later I found myself walking beside the lake before my cottage.

“Who........or what, was that?” I asked.

“Oh, he has had many names over the centuries” she said with a smile. “To the Celts he was Cernunnos the horned god, to the English he was Herne the Hunter. To the Germanic tribes of Northern Europe he was the Erlking. He is the leader of the Wild Hunt, he travels on the winds which blow ahead of the storms and carries away the souls of the dead……and also anyone else who is unfortunate enough to get in his way!”

“The Wild Hunt?” I thought for a moment. “I’ve heard of them. Alex and I traveled around England for a while in the summer and I remember her telling me that there were legends of the Wild Hunt coming out from Glastonbury Tor on Midsummer’s night.” I glanced across at her. “We guessed that there’s probably a portal there? Like the one at the Rollright Stones near Long Compton?”

“You two are sometimes a little too clever for your own good William! Yes, you’re right of course….”

We walked along the bank of the lake in silence for a while. “Did you find your visit interesting William?” she asked.

“Oh yes, very interesting!”

“Well, as you could no doubt tell, my association with you has not been universally accepted by my people” she said sounding highly displeased.

“I trust that I have not caused you any problems my lady?”

“There are….factions I suppose you would call them, who would rebel against my rule.” Her eyes were cold and dark and even I noticed a slight chill in the air around her. I shivered thinking that I would not wish to rebel against her, not after seeing what she had done to Lazlo.

“You don’t appear surprised by this William? Do I seem to be such a harsh ruler to you?” she asked.

“Not at all!” I said quickly. “But believe me I am well acquainted with the idea of factions causing problems. The Authority has been infested with them at various times in our history.” 

She sighed “Ruling over such a diverse people as the Fae is not easy William. We have not the power we used to possess…..” she stopped suddenly and turned to me. “You see, you are a bad influence on me. I trust you too much.” She began walking again slowly. “I should not be speaking of this with you, you of all people!”

“Because I am vampire?” I asked.

“Exactly! There are those who would condemn me for walking with you, never mind asking, even relying on your advice.”

“I hope that I have always advised you to good effect my lady?” I replied quietly. “You may trust me completely. I assure you I would never do anything which might harm you or your people.”

She stopped again and put a hand on my arm. “I know that William, you have proved your worth many times. It is simply that I have no-one of my own people that I can confide in, and so I feel the urge to confide in you…..” She guided me towards the stone bench beside the lake and we sat down side by side.

“I am sure that, as a vampire, you are used to the concept of immortality but although I may not appear old to you William I have ruled over the Fae for many thousands of years.” She smiled at me “this is where you flatter me by saying that I do not look my age!”

I laughed, “Indeed my lady you do not!”

“In earlier times we had greater power to protect ourselves from both mortals and vampires but we made a mistake which proved to be our undoing. We committed our knowledge to parchment. We created a book containing all our history and lore and, as the information was set down in the book, the Fae did not think it necessary to remember it. Thus, when the book was lost, stolen from us many centuries ago, we found our power diminished.” She paused and sat gazing out over the lake. “It was called “The Book of Flowers” and it was said that it could only be read by moonlight.....”

I laughed. “Really? And was it true?”

“Indeed it was” she answered. “It was written in a substance which the ancient Fae used, a substance which was invisible in any light other than that of the moon.”

“And this lost Book, would it help you?” I asked curiously.

“Indeed it would” she answered. “With the knowledge contained in the Book of Flowers my power would be considerably increased and my position would be unassailable.” She turned to me with a smile. “But it was lost so long ago that even I can barely remember it. It disappeared when we inhabited your world so it would probably have crumbled to dust centuries ago.

“Still…….I am sure you have enough problems of your own without adding mine to your burden. I trust that this place allows you and your charming wife some peace at least?”

I smiled. “Oh yes!” I looked around at the lake and the little thatched cottage where Alex and I had spent our honeymoon. “We are both very fond of this place.....”


	3. Chapter 3

It was several months later that I was asked to attend a special meeting of the authority. I received a message from Ulrich to say that Lilith had requested my presence personally. This surprised me a little as she was well able to deal with the Authority by herself now. In the beginning she had wanted me with her all the time but she learned quickly and soon developed into a consumate politician. Of course, technically, everyone on the Authority worshipped her as a goddess but familiarity breeds contempt and they soon became used to her presence. 

One or two members who had become too used to her and treated her with less than the respect she considered her due had paid a high price and now the rest were more careful not to offend her.

We met in the conference room and Ulrich explained that we had gathered to view a new exhibit in the Museum.

“Did you know that they have a Museum here William?” she asked.

“I had heard of it, although I have never seen it.” I replied. “I understand it holds some of the most precious treasures of our history.”

She stepped up alongside me and slipped her arm through mine. “Then this will be a new experience, I have a surprise for you!”

I wasn’t quite sure how to respond to this so I simply smiled at her and let her lead me out of the conference room. Ulrich led us and several of the other members down through a labyrinth of corridors deep underground until we came to a pair of heavy oak doors bound with brass. Ulrich knocked and the door was opened immediately by a slightly built man with thinning hair who peered up at us curiously.

“Ah! Herr Von Schroeder, we’ve been expecting you and your guests.” His voice had a slight Germanic accent, similar to Ulrich's and he glanced over at Lilith and bowed. “Welcome Your Highness! We hope you will be pleased with our work here.”

He gestured for us to enter and we walked into a room lined with glass cases containing a vast array of precious objects from all over the world and from all periods of history. 

Lilith and I looked around curiously as Ulrich entered and smiled down at the little man. “This is Alberic” he said. “He has been in charge of the Museum and the Library here for many centuries and is an expert on our treasures.”

I looked around, fascinated by the gleam of gold and precious stones, but before I could make a move towards the cabinets Alberic directed us to a set of folding doors in the right hand wall. Two assistants pulled back the doors with a flourish and I saw the gleam of more gold in the darkness beyond. Inside the small room, filling it almost completely was a gold plated, tent like structure which I recognised immediately. I watched, fascinated, as the assistants opened the golden doors to reveal the red granite statue of Lilith, seated upon her carved stone throne.

There were gasps from the assembled authority members but I smiled to myself, remembering the last time I had stood before this statue, in the shrine at Thebes in 1903. She still held the stone jar on her knees although I knew that it was now empty. The contents had been transferred to the goblet from which I had drunk that fateful night in Darius Ashman’s drawing room. But the rest was just as I remembered it. The wig of intricately plaited black hair and the eyes of ivory and blue lapis lazuli. 

“You remember this William?” asked a soft voice from behind me.

I turned to see a slight figure in a white linen robe standing beside the door.

“Berenice!” I took her hands and leaned forward to kiss her cool cheek. “It’s good to see you again!”

“The Lady Berenice oversaw the transfer of the treasures from the shrine to our Museum here” said Alberic with a smile. “We shall care for them now.”

I thought I saw a flash of annoyance in Berenice's eyes for a moment at Alberic's obvious acquisitiveness, but then I guessed that was part of his value to the Authority.

“We have several other unique pieces that the Lady Berenice also brought with her” said Alberic to the Authority members in a lecturing tone. There are several smaller statues, including one of her maker Mekure who created the shrine. Also two copies of the testament, one of which.....” he gestured proudly towards a scroll under glass in a small case “......is the oldest in existence.”

I glanced at Berenice who gave me a conspiratorial smile. He was evidently unaware of the fact that a similar, possibly even older, version lay in a carved wooden case on a shelf in my study at the Mill House!

“Perhaps you would like to examine some of our other treasures?” he asked, indicating that we should precede him out of the side room which had been converted into a replica of the shrine. Several of the Council remained behind, examining the shrine and the statues but I walked out into the main hall and looked around. Something immediately caught my eye and I crossed the room to a large case on the far wall containing two eggs made of gold and studded with precious stones.

“Are those......?”

“Fabergé? Yes indeed.” replied Alberic smiling to himself at my surprise. “When the Bolsheviks stormed St Petersburg they seized all the works of the House of Fabergé that they could find. Some are in museums and some were sold to private collectors but eight were missing. We have five of them here....the other three.....who knows, perhaps they were destroyed.” He smiled. “But I have agents still searching........”

He looked up at me with something like respect. “You appear to be something of a connoisseur Mr Compton” he said. “Perhaps you would be interested in this.” He waved a couple of his assistants towards what appeared to be a set of folding doors set into one wall.

They unfolded the doors and a sheet of glass appeared behind which was a tall panel about six feet wide made of a warm rich brownish yellow substance and embossed with gold.

“Can you tell me what this is Mr Compton?” he asked.

“Is that.....” I peered closer. “Is that amber? It's a panel from the Amber Room?”

Alberic appeared delighted and all but clapped his hands. “Well done!”

“But however did you get it?” I asked in astonishment. “I understood that it was looted by the Germans in World War II?”

“Indeed it was” he answered. “ It was taken to Köenigsburg in 1941, but on the way one of my agents who was tracking the shipment managed to glamour the guards one night and take one of the crates containing a single panel. The rest was put on display, but then it was lost during the war and has never been seen since. This may be the only panel remaining” he said proudly. “We have many treasures, rescued from foolish mortals which would otherwise have been lost forever.”

I glanced around the room seeing a gold Templar cross set with garnets, a silver chalice with what looked like latin engraving around the rim, objects carved from ivory and set with gems whose purpose I couldn't even guess at and, in a cabinet on the far wall, a collection of regalia including a golden mace, an orb surmounted by a jewelled cross and a magnificent golden crown encrusted with precious stones and rimmed with pearls. I suddenly recalled reading about King John who had travelled from Bishops Lynn in Norfolk to Newark Castle in the autumn of 1216 and had lost the baggage carts containing his coronation regalia in an area of dangerous marshland known as the Wash.

I struggled to take it in. This was a storehouse of lost treasure of which the world knew nothing! I could hardly wait to see Alex's face when I told her about it!

Alberic was watching me with a little smile. “But there is much more.....” he gestured at the doors in the far wall. “We have six halls like this one....” he paused as we gasped in astonishment “......and then there is the Library!”


	4. Chapter 4

“The Library?” I asked, stunned.

Alberic gave a self-satisfied little smile. “Why yes! We have an excellent collection.” He walked towards the doors and headed through into another room, I and the other Council members trailing in his wake. He led us into a magnificent Library, lined with deep mahogany bookshelves on one wall containing a vast selection of books and on the opposite wall a collection of niches containing scrolls.

“Here we have the complete works of the Greek poet Sappho!” he said, pointing to a collection of niches, and those of Hypatia of Alexandria.” He paused and looked at me, raising an eyebrow, like a schoolmaster waiting for a comment from a bright pupil. 

I had to ask even though I had already guessed the answer. “Were those works not lost when the great Library of Alexandria burned?”

He gave a happy little sigh. “Much was lost, but we saved as much as we could.”

“Does no one know they are here?” asked one of the Council members, looking around. 

Alberic looked shocked. “We know!” he said sharply.

“But what was the point in saving it if no-one knows it exists?” I asked. “Scholars over the centuries would have given anything to see these books!”

“You refer to mortal scholars?” asked Alberic, looking shocked. “It was they who caused the works to be lost in the first place!”

“But surely the burning of the library was an accident........” I paused, thinking of the numerous times in history when mortals had deliberately burned books. Because they disagreed with the contents, or thought them heretical in some way. “.......perhaps you've got a point....”

Alberic smiled at me approvingly. “Indeed!”

By this time we had split up and people were wandering around examining various objects. Alberic turned to Lilith and bowed deeply. “I have something here which may interest you your Highness. One of the oldest books in our collection, so old in fact that no-one knows where it originally came from. You may be able to help us identify it?”

He directed her to a glass case which I had noticed in the centre of the room and opened it revealing, not the scroll I had expected, but a leather bound book. 

As Lilith walked away I felt a light touch on my arm and turned to see Berenice standing beside me. There was a tall, dark skinned vampire with her and she put a hand on his arm. “William, this is Omar. We met recently in Cairo.” she smiled up at him. “Omar, this is my friend William Compton.”

The young man bowed respectfully to me. “I am honoured to meet you Mr Compton, Berenice has told me much about you.”

I smiled at them both, relieved to see that Berenice had taken my advice to heart and begun to live her own life. I had not seen her since we had left for America although Lilith had told me that Berenice had visited her on her return to England and they had talked together for hours, like old friends. I saw the happiness in her eyes and knew that she had left the disappointment of what she saw as her failure to become the vessel for the Goddess behind her at last.

“I am pleased to meet you Omar. I trust you will look after her.” I saw Berenice frown at me and laughed. “Come! It was just a joke.” I took her hand and brought it to my lips. “I am so pleased to see you happy my dear.”

She smiled at me and turned away to introduce Omar to someone else.

I looked back to where Lilith was examining the glass case. “I have never seen nor heard of this book before” she said confidently. “What makes you think that it has anything to do with me?” She reached into the case opening the book and turning a few pages. “It would appear to be blank!” She looked up at the little curator curiously and he gave a secretive little smile.

“We know that it was created by vampires my lady as it is a creation of darkness, as we are creatures of darkness.”

“Whatever do you mean?” she asked. “How can a simple book with blank pages be a 'creation of darkness'! It's just a book!”

He gave that little smile again. “Many centuries before I became curator it was discovered that there is, in fact, information in the book. However it can only be seen by the light of the moon. Watch!”

I turned to watch him as he reached behind the case and pulled a lever which opened the shutters at each end of a long shaft leading up to one of the skylights. The moon was full and shone in through the gap straight down onto the book. “Surely,” I thought to myself “it couldn't be?” I smiled at the young vampire who was trying to interest me in Babylonian artefacts and turned to walk over to Lilith. She was examining the pages with some interest.

“Look at this William!” she said. “I recognise this script, but I cannot read it.”

The little curator practically jumped up and down in excitement. “I knew it!” he cried. “I knew you would be able to help us!”

“I said I cannot read it” she repeated. “Do you know what this script is William?”

I looked over her shoulder to see an ancient looking writing somewhat akin to the cuneiform of ancient Babylon, but much more complex. “I would guess that it is Fae script” I said softly.

Lilith looked up at me, surprised. “You've seen it before?” she asked.

“No.” I reached over and closed the book so that I could examine the cover. I could see that Alberic wanted to tell me off but didn't quite dare. The book was bound in a dark worn leather with a delicate tooled pattern of roses highlighted with gold leaf.

“The Book of Flowers!” I whispered. Not quite believing it.


	5. Chapter 5

I was curled up on the sofa in the Lounge with a book when I heard Bill’s car pull up in the yard. A moment later he came in and tossed his briefcase onto the desk, holding out his arms to me.

“I need a kiss, come here!” he murmured and I jumped into his arms and kissed him.

He carried me over to an armchair and sat down, holding me on his lap. “So? How did the meeting go?” I asked.

He considered for a moment. “Well, there was no actual meeting but what happened was extraordinary…..”

“Something unusual happened?” I asked, surprised. 

“It appears that the Authority have a Museum” he said. “I had heard of it but I had no idea that it was so extensive…..but then I’ve only fairly recently had anything to do with them….” He grinned at me “I’ve been lucky up ‘til now! Anyway they had a new exhibit that they wanted to show off so we all got the grand tour.”

“What was it?” I asked, intrigued.

“They had brought the contents of Lilith’s shrine from the mountains outside Thebes and re-created it in the Museum. The golden shrine, the statue, everything.”

I looked up to see that distant look in his eyes that he got whenever he was thinking of the past.

“Lilith told me that the shrine was where she first saw me, that night when Berenice took me there. If only I had not agreed to go, if I could have controlled my curiosity, perhaps none of this would have happened.” 

“Oh Bill! You of all people should know better than to waste time worrying about the past. It’s done now, nothing can change it. Besides I wouldn’t seek to change your past. Your past has made you what you are…..”

He smiled down at me. “You see why I love you so? You keep me grounded, prevent me from going off on flights of fancy, wondering about what might have happened” he kissed me again. “Berenice was there tonight” he said. “She had a young man with her, an Arab, Egyptian maybe, very handsome! She seemed happy……I was so pleased for her, she spent so long guarding the shrine, it became almost like her tomb!”

I put an arm around Bill’s neck and hugged him. I had to admit that Berenice would never be my favourite vampire but if Bill was happy for her then I would be too, for his sake! 

“But even more fascinating was seeing what else they had in their collection. I so wished you could have been there Alex! You’d have loved it!”

I sat curled up in his arms, becoming more and more astonished as he told me everything he’d seen. I was speechless with awe. “You actually saw scrolls that were supposed to have been lost in the fire at the great Library of Alexandria?”

“Yes! There was so much there it was too much to take in all at once. I should love to return and take you with me but somehow I don’t think they would allow you in. Possibly not me either after the last item I saw!” He looked down at me seriously. “You remember me telling you about the Book of Flowers?”

“Queen Mab’s lost book of lore?” I asked.

“That’s the one! Well…..it’s in the Library.”

I sat up. “Are you sure?”

“Well, I’m pretty sure. It’s just as she described it to me. They said they’ve had it for thousands of years, which fits, and there can’t be many books written in the Fae script which can only be read by moonlight can there?”

“What are you going to do?” I asked.

Bill’s face took on that familiar determined expression which meant that he was going to do the right thing regardless of any opposition he might face. “We have to give it back!” he said firmly. “I’ve already talked to Ulrich and he agrees with me. Our alliance with Queen Mab is too important to risk. There was a bit of a row after we left the Museum actually. I explained to Ulrich the importance of the Book to the Fae and suggested that we return it as a gesture of good faith. He wasn't too impressed by this and neither were most of the High Council, although to be fair there were one or two on my side. He called in the Curator, Alberic, and he was horrified at the thought that we should give away anything. I explained that we were not giving it away, we were giving it back. It had never been ours in the first place. That and the fact that the Book is written in a language we can't understand enabled me to persuade the Council around to my view. Also they have a healthy respect for Mab and didn't want to offend her. Ulrich’s going to arrange for it to be sent here and I’ll take it to her.” He smiled to himself. “I think he’s too frightened of her to get involved himself.”

“I don’t blame him! How’s she going to react when she finds out that you’ve had it all this time?”

“I’m hoping that she’ll be so pleased to get it back that she’ll forgive us. After all, no-one actually knew what it was…..”

“Well, if anyone’s going to give it back you’re probably the best choice” I said thoughtfully. “At least she seems to like you.”

Bill relaxed in the armchair and pulled me closer. “I’m not going to worry about it now, It’ll be dawn in a few hours and I don’t want to waste any of my precious time with you.” His mouth closed on mine and his hand slipped up into my hair.

As he moved the book I had been reading fell from the arm of the chair and landed on the carpet with a thump. Bill reached down and picked it up.

“What have you been reading?” he asked flipping through to where my bookmark was still clinging precariously to a page. “Poetry huh? 'The Highwayman' by Alfred Noyes.” He raised an eyebrow. “I remember that one. Very romantic! Do you see yourself as Bess the landlord’s daughter? You’ve certainly got the hair for it!” He ran his fingers through my long black hair and laughed. “Can I be your highwayman?”

He began to quote from the poem I had just read, his voice soft and seductive. 

_"One kiss, my bonny sweetheart, I'm after a prize tonight_  
 _But I shall be back with the yellow gold before the morning light;_  
 _Yet, if they press me sharply, and harry me through the day,_  
 _Then look for me by moonlight,_  
 _Watch for me by moonlight,_  
 _I'll come to thee by moonlight, though hell should bar the way."_

I put my head on his shoulder and murmured. “Not a good idea! They both die in the end remember? The King's men kidnap her to lure him to the Inn and she sacrifices herself to warn him, then when he finds out what happened he races back to the Inn and is shot down on the road.”

I paused, thinking about the tragedy of the poem. “But at least they're together in the end.” I kissed his throat and whispered into his ear. 

_“And still of a winter's night, they say, when the wind is in the trees_  
 _When the moon is a ghostly galleon tossed upon cloudy seas,_  
 _When the road is a ribbon of moonlight across the purple moor,_  
 _A highwayman comes riding, up to the old inn-door.”_

Bill kissed me gently on the forehead. “You're more of an old romantic than I am! Care to come out for a little walk?” he asked casually.

I sat up. “What? Why on earth would I want to go out for a walk?” I asked, puzzled.

“Because I've bought you a present and I arranged for it to be delivered while you were out shopping with Susie earlier.”

“A present? What on earth for?”

“Can't I buy a present for my wife just because I want to?” he asked.

“Well of course you can, but you didn't say anything about it yesterday.”

“Of course not! It wouldn’t have been a surprise then would it?” He grinned at me and stood up, setting me down in front of him. “Well? Don’t you want to see it?”

“Sure!” I took his hand and he led me out of the kitchen door and into the yard between the house and the old Mill. The two cars were parked in the yard, Bill’s Aston Martin and my TVR, but we walked around them, through the archway to the back of the house and round to the old barn where I kept the garden furniture. It was still quite dark inside but Bill left the double doors open so that enough moonlight shone inside to show me that it had been cleared out and the cobbled floor had been swept clean. Bill led me over to a half door at the back and I peered inside.

At first I could see nothing, my eyes were nowhere near as good as Bill’s in the dark. Then I heard a soft snort and something moved in the darkness, a long pale face came into view with great dark eyes framed by long lashes.

“Titania!” Hearing my voice she came towards me, her velvety ears flicked forward and she pushed her soft muzzle into my outstretched hand. “Oh Bill! You……you bought her for me?”

“You seemed to get on very well together” he said leaning on the wall of the loose box and smiling at us. As he spoke there was a crash from the other side of the wall and I realized that there were two loose boxes in the barn. “Don’t tell me you bought that monster Oberon as well?”

“Well…..” Bill spread out his hands in a helpless little gesture. “He started kicking up a fuss when he saw us loading her into the trailer…..and she clearly didn’t want to leave him either, so….” He shrugged eloquently. “Who am I to split up two lovers? She obviously didn’t want to be parted from ‘that monster’. So you have that in common at least…..”

I flung myself at Bill and kissed him. “You mean you didn’t buy him just so that you could do your highwayman act?”

He laughed and brushed the hair back from my face, the dark waves glistening with silver in the pale light. _“Watch for me by moonlight!”_ he whispered, picking me up and carrying me back into the house, his lips searching gently for mine.

There was still an hour left before dawn and we made good use of it…..


	6. Chapter 6

“I'm going to ask you for a favour my Lady” I said calmly.

Queen Mab and I were walking again beside the lake in front of the cottage she had given us as a wedding present.

“Indeed!” And do you imagine that I will grant you this favour?” she asked, sounding genuinely curious.

“I certainly hope so” I replied seriously. “I have something for you, but before I give it to you I want you to promise me that you will grant me this favour.”

“And what is this mysterious favour?” asked Mab a little impatiently.

“I will tell you after you have seen my gift” I said.

She stopped and stared at me in astonishment. “Have I understood you correctly William? You wish me to promise you something without knowing what it is?”

“Please trust me my Lady! Believe me when I say that this is very important to both of us.”

Queen Mab gazed at me with her strange opalescent eyes for a moment and then sighed. “Very well. You have proved to be a good friend to me William so I will trust you in this, but should you betray my trust.....I will make you regret it, you know this!”

I thought of Lazlo and shivered. “Please come this way.....”

We walked over to the cottage and I opened the door and gestured for her to enter. The book lay on a small table that Alex and I had brought from the Mill House, Mab saw it immediately and stopped, staring at it. “Where.....where did you get this?” she asked.

“Do you recognise it?” I asked. “Is it the lost book, the Book of Flowers?”

She walked over to it and traced her fingers over the leather and gold cover. She opened the book and held her right hand over one of the pages, her eyes closed and her lips moving in some soft chant. As I watched a warm golden light appeared around the book. 

“It is the Book of Flowers” she whispered. “Where did you get it?”

“First I have a question, and a favour to ask” I answered boldly.

“Do not test my patience William! Where did you find this” she hissed.

I took a step back. “Please my Lady? One question only?”

I watched as she conquered her impatience with an effort. “Very well! Ask your question.”

“Does this book contain a power that could be used against my kind?” I asked.

She stared at me for a long moment. “Yes” she answered quietly. “At least......it contains a power that my kind can use to protect themselves against yours.”

“Then I would ask for my favour. I would ask that you do not use the power of this book against us. At least......use it to protect yourselves but not as a weapon against my kind?”

Mab continued to stare at me. “You knew that the book contained a power that would be dangerous to you didn't you?” she asked.

I nodded. “I suspected as much.”

“And yet you still returned it to me?”

“It belongs to you. You need it to protect yourself and your people.”

“And your 'favour' William?” She traced the outline of the golden roses with a fingertip. “You must know that in exchange for this book I would have given you anything you asked! And yet you ask nothing for yourself?”

“This is too important to make it personal” I said quietly.

She sighed. “You continually surprise me William. Very well. I will not use the power of the book against you. I have trusted you William and my faith in you has been amply rewarded. Now you must trust me. However, I can only promise for myself, if I were to be overthrown.......”

“But now that you possess the Book that possibility is unlikely.....”

She smiled a genuine broad smile. “You really are good at this aren't you! You are correct of course.” She sat down and directed me to sit beside her on the fur covered couch. “Now tell me, where did you find this?”

“It was in the Museum of The Vampire Authority” I answered.

“Vampires stole it from us!” her eyes flashed angrily.

“Not necessarily” I said. “It had been there for so long that no-one knew how they had originally acquired it. It was believed to have been written by an ancient vampire”

Mab gave a disbelieving laugh. “A book of Fae magic! In the language of the Fae!”

“They could not read it” I explained. “To them it was an ancient book in some lost language which could only be read at night. It's not really surprising that it was assumed to have been written by a vampire.”

She laughed. “I'd never thought of that, but I suppose it does make sense.....”

She reached up and traced a fingertip across my cheek. I expected her touch to be cold but it was not. It did, however send a delicious shock through my body.

“I owe you a great debt William” she said, her voice low and soft.

“I only did what I thought was right my Lady” I murmured.

“Most others would have tried to turn the situation to their advantage.”

“Then it is as well that you chose me!”

She laughed happily and leaned back a little, regarding me with that worryingly intense gaze. “Do you not find me attractive William?” she asked.

Oh please no! This couldn’t be happening! “Certainly I do my Lady” I replied carefully “but as you know I have a wife…..a woman to whom I have made certain…..vows.” I watched her reaction closely, feeling rather as I would imagine a mouse would feel when trapped in a corner by a cat. She really was a stunningly beautiful woman…..I blinked. What was I thinking!

“You must love her very much” she said quietly.

“I do.” I reached out and took her hand. “Please do not be offended my Lady but I…….” She lifted her other hand and placed two fingers across my lips. “Shhh….and now I also owe you an apology. And with hindsight, I must admit that I would have thought less of you had you agreed.”

She stood up, the white gown flowing around her, accentuating the elegant curves of her body. “You agreed to become my Ambassador William, not my lover….although, if you should change your mind…….”

I did my best to suppress the sigh of relief and smiled back in what I hoped was a non-committal manner. She did not leave the cottage, she seemed merely to dissolve until I was alone in the room, although I was sure I saw a final smile appear on her lips.

I leaned back against the wall and tried to relax. It wasn’t as though I wasn’t flattered. After all she was strikingly beautiful and the mere touch of her fingertips was causing me a distinct problem even now. But there was just something about her which reminded me of one of those tropical spiders who eat their partner after sex. I laughed softly to myself. What was it about me that attracted these strong, powerful women? Even Alex, although she was merely mortal, was a strong independent woman, and she had power of her own. I got up and, glancing over at the table, I was not surprised to see that the Book was gone, although I hadn’t seen her take it. I left the cottage and began to walk up towards the carved archway in the cliff and home.


	7. Chapter 7

Bill had been particularly attentive that night. He had come back from Faerie after returning the Book to Queen Mab and, for some reason, had simply come over to where I was curled up in an armchair and sat down on the floor at my feet. He laid his dark head against my knee and stared into the flames. After a moment I looked down at him and put down my wine.

“What’s up with you?” I asked. 

He glanced up at me. “Nothing!” he said, rather too quickly.

“You’re being uncharacteristically affectionate tonight.” I said.

“Oh that’s unfair!” he replied, gazing up at me with those big blue eyes. “I’m always affectionate….”

I ran my fingers through his thick, chocolate brown hair. “Well, okay yes you are, but something’s up. I can tell. What is it sweetheart?” I reached out to him through the blood bond and, rather to my surprise, felt considerable arousal. 

“Okay!” I said with a little giggle. “Something’s definitely up!” I slid my hand around his head and turned his face to mine but for some reason he looked distinctly uncomfortable and wouldn’t meet my eyes.

“Bill? What’s wrong sweetie?” I murmured. “You’re not usually embarrassed by the effect I have on you….”

He gave a little groan and buried his face in my stomach. 

“Bill!” I was getting really worried now. “Whatever’s the matter?” I stroked his hair gently. “Please tell me…..”

“It wasn’t you!” he muttered, his face still pressed against my stomach. “It was Mab!” 

His voice was so muffled I wasn’t sure if I’d heard him correctly.

“Mab? What do you mean………oh Bill! You didn’t……?”

His head snapped up and he looked me directly in the eyes for the first time. “No! No it was nothing like that. Well……not exactly. She……..I think “hit on me” is probably the current expression.” He gave me a slightly hangdog look.

I gaped at him, trying to sort out my feelings which ranged from furious to terrified. “What did you say?” I asked.

“Well I said no of course!” he replied, his eyes a little wild with panic at the memory. “I was a little more polite than that mind you.” He took my hand and kissed it gently.

“We were in the cottage after I had shown her the Book. She sat down next to me on the furs and leaned over me.” His voice had slowed and his eyes looked glazed. “The touch of her fingertips and the scent of her……you know what your scent does to me and she is a full Fae and a Queen….I tried not to offend her but I had to refuse somehow. I think she understood……I certainly hope so!”

“I’m sure she would understand” I said comfortingly, though I was not at all certain in my own mind. I could feel his confusion through the bond. A mixture of embarrassment and excitement laced with a vampire's powerful sexual arousal. I could sense him struggling against it and slipped my hand behind his head, drawing him to me, bending my head to his. He resisted for a moment, surprised, and then crushed my lips beneath his, kissing me with a passion which took my breath away.

He stood up, sweeping me up into his arms and moved over to the sofa, falling back and pulling me down on top of him, his strong hands tearing through the thin cotton of my blouse, the warmth of my skin under his fingers releasing all the pent up excitement Mab had provoked in him. I felt him tugging at the waistband of my trousers and suddenly I felt a jerk as the button was ripped off and my pants were pushed down and eased off my wriggling legs.

“Whoa! Easy there boy!” I muttered as he pinned me down on the sofa and reached between his own legs.

Bill snarled in response, his fangs fully out and straining towards my neck, his nostrils flaring at the scent of my blood. I braced my feet on the arm of the sofa as I felt his hard length pressing urgently against me. Grasping at the last shreds of his self control he reached under me with one hand, holding himself up on the back of the sofa with the other and raised up my hips, spreading my thighs apart, allowing him to slide himself gently into my already wet opening. I put my arms around his neck and hung on as he worked himself deeper until, with a cry of pleasure he reached his climax, sinking his fangs into my throat and driving me into ecstatic spasms along with him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

The next day I had arranged to drive over to Carmilla’s to meet one of our suppliers for a business lunch. Bill had signed all his considerable property, investments and business portfolio over to me before we left for America but, after our marriage, we had spent hours signing endless documents which put everything in our joint names. Since our return a lot of Bill’s time had been taken up with Lilith and the Authority and so the day to day administration of his…….no “our” businesses had fallen on me. I found that I quite enjoyed it. Bill had introduced me to everyone I needed to deal with and my time working with him as his business partner meant I already understood how everything worked.

I had set the alarm just after dawn when Bill was finally forced, reluctantly, to release me, and I managed a few hours sleep before I was due at Carmilla’s. It was a bright clear day and I took the roof off my car and set off in high spirits, discreetly tailed by two of Bill’s security guards. I had never been particularly happy about this but Harry always insisted and they kept well out of the way. I was able to sort out the supplier’s problems and we had a pleasant lunch after which I took the opportunity to do some shopping. I was delighted to find myself some riding boots as I was eager to get to know my gift a little better! It was late afternoon before I finished my shopping and set off home. After an enjoyable and productive day I was relaxed and feeling pleased with myself as I drove through the narrow lanes back to the village, so I got a nasty shock when I came round the last bend to see a large black van in the middle of the road. 

I hit the brakes hard and the powerful car slid sideways in the dust on the dry surface of the road, pulling up just short of the side of the van. I sat shaking for a moment and then looked around me. Suddenly there was a screech of brakes and a crash and I glanced round to see the second car slide into the ditch behind me. I looked back to see that a man wearing mirrored sunglasses had come around the side of the van towards me.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing!” I yelled, furious. “You could have killed me!”

I had unfastened the driver’s door and to my surprise he pulled it open and leaned into the car. “Well that would never do now would it?” he said in a low voice, taking hold of my arm. “We want Mr Compton to find you……we want him to realise what he’s done…...”

I was still trying to take in what he had said when I heard two shots and looked around. I had been so shocked and angry that I hadn’t even noticed the second van which had driven Stan and Ed off the road. There were two more men, similarly dressed in black clothing, standing over the car, each holding a small handgun. To my horror I realised that they had just killed my security guards!

I reached up and put my hand on the chest of the man before me. I was already taut with fear and shock and I pushed these feelings into my hand, throwing the man off me in a flash of familiar blue light. As I caught my breath I heard a slight sound behind me, someone had come up on the other side of the car and before I could move he had leant over the open roof and struck me over the back of the head. I felt an agonizing pain in my head and neck and seemed to see stars in the blackness before my eyes. Then they faded and I fell into the darkness.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It must have been some time later that I came round gradually, dazed and sore, to find that I was lying under a willow tree on the river bank. I was quite alone and I struggled to understand where I was and why they had brought me here. The place seemed vaguely familiar and I realised that I was probably less than half a mile from the Mill House. I could see the dark pool of my blood spreading across the grass and dripping from the edge of the bank into the river, the swirling pink eddies flowing away from me as I felt myself slipping back down into the darkness. I remembered Bill quoting the lines of the poem to me 

_“…......Then look for me by moonlight,  
Watch for me by moonlight,   
I'll come to thee by moonlight, though hell should bar the way." _

But I knew the moon would not be up for some time yet. What was it he had said? “We want Mr Compton to find you....” My body felt numb and cold and my very last conscious thought was that I was dying and I knew with a chilling certainty that Bill could not possibly reach me in time.


	8. Chapter 8

I had slept badly that day, tormented by dreams in which I knew there was something dreadful waiting ahead of me, always just out of sight so that no matter how hard I tried, I was unable to see quite what it was. I shook off this fear of the unknown and suddenly I was lying in the furs at our cottage. Alex was lying under me, her limbs wrapped around me as we made love. I closed my eyes and kissed her but when I opened them again I saw Queen Mab lying in the furs smiling at me. She placed a hand on my chest and I felt a sudden agonising pain. It felt as though someone had dug a hook into my heart and was hauling on it, pulling me up. Then I realised that I was no longer dreaming, I was awake! Alex! It was Alex! She was in pain, severe pain, I could feel it....

I leapt out of bed and raced up the stairs into the kitchen. It was not quite dark as I tore the kitchen door open and ran out into the yard past one of the human security guards. I heard him call to me as I passed but I didn't stop, the skin on my arms, face and chest blistering from the final rays of the setting sun. I gritted my teeth against the pain of my burning flesh and ran on through the long grass, through the orchard and down towards the river. I could feel her pain but it was getting weaker even as I ran, and then suddenly it was gone. 

I stopped dead in my tracks. Ever since Alex had first taken my blood I had been able to sense her, to feel her consciousness within me, but now........where that warm and comforting presence had been, there was nothing. With a howl of absolute desolation I sank to my knees in the damp grass, my legs no longer able to support me. I felt limp, as though I had been cut loose from an anchor and might float away into oblivion. I don't know how long I knelt there, numb with shock, the previous day's rain soaking into the soft cotton sleep pants I was wearing, until I felt a hand on my shoulder and looked up to see Gerry standing beside me.

“Bill?” he looked down at me, worry creasing his handsome face. “Are you okay, what's happened? Security told me you just took off.......before sunset!”

I looked up at him, my face streaked with tears. “Alex!” I whispered. “She's gone Gerry! I can't feel her any more........she's dead.......”

I saw Gerry's mouth fall open, but he could find nothing to say.......there was nothing to say......

I stood up slowly, shakily, the emptiness in my heart as agonizing as any physical pain I had ever suffered. “I have to find her.......I need to find her Gerry......”

“Sure!” he seemed relieved to have something to do. He handed me a shirt. “Here, put this on and I'll help you.....”

We walked slowly along the river bank, while I pulled the T shirt over my burnt body. There seemed no point in hurrying now and something in me didn't want to find her. I wondered if I could actually bear it. I let Gerry take the lead and after about five minutes he stopped and sniffed at the air.

“Blood!”

I got a grip on myself and strode past him along the bank. I could smell it now, Alex's blood...... Ahead of us was a weeping willow tree, its roots trailing down the river bank. Between the roots was a darker shadow in the grass. I fell to my knees again and put out my hand, when I lifted it my fingers were red with blood, her blood. I licked a fingertip.......yes, it was hers. But where was she?

Gerry was looking around, puzzled. “Perhaps she fell?” he suggested hopefully. “Slipped and hit her head on a root? Then recovered and left?”

“She didn't recover” I answered bleakly. “Besides, where would she go? Surely she would have headed back to the house?”

I knelt in the grass, my hand painted with her blood. “I will find her Gerry” I said quietly. “And I will find whoever did this to her......and I will make them pay......... I felt it again, that moment when her presence was suddenly cut off........” I blinked, another memory flashing into my mind. Azaria talking to me at the Inn, at The Pale Horse, when Alex and I had returned from Faerie the first time. Telling me about Lilith, how she was frantic with worry that I had disappeared.

“Faerie!” I slapped my bloody hand over the opal ring on my left hand and, almost as if she had been waiting for the summons, Queen Mab materialised before us, seeming to step out of the slim trunk of the willow tree.

“Shit!” Gerry jumped back hurriedly. “How does she do that?” he hissed.

She gave him a cold glance and then looked down at me, kneeling at her feet.

“You found this place quickly William” she said, eyeing the healing burns on my skin. “Too quickly it seems.”

“Where is she?” I asked. “Did you take her?”

She gave me a sorrowful smile and my heart sank. “We found her here, I am sorry William, but my magic could not heal her, her injury is too severe.”

I heard a helpless little cry fall from my lips, I had hoped so desperately for a different answer. But then...... “Wait! You said “is”? She's alive?”

“She is alive, but only barely. All I could do is to halt the damage. You know how time differs in my realm William. I have slowed it around her....” she held out her hand to me. “Come, I will take you to her.”

“Um.....Bill?” I heard Gerry's voice faintly from somewhere behind me. “Do you think that's........”

Ignoring him I stood up and took her hand. I felt the familiar tingle on my skin as we passed between the worlds, between hers and mine. Then we were standing on a grassy lawn before a stone bench padded with furs. Furs that looked just like those in our cottage, the cottage where we had spent our honeymoon. I blinked back tears to see Alex lying on the furs, her hands laid at her sides, her eyes closed. She might have been sleeping but for the blood clotted in her long black hair. I looked closer and saw to my horror that the side of her head looked crushed.....misshapen.

I glanced back at Queen Mab and, for the first time I wondered how she had found Alex. How she had even known about it. With Alex out of the way.........surely, she wouldn't have....? 

“The blow to her head has shattered her skull” said Mab quietly. “It cannot be healed from the outside. Only from within.”

I couldn't imagine what she meant. “From within?” I asked.

“Your blood is the only thing that can help her now.” 

“No! No I couldn't.”

She turned to me looking slightly puzzled and I knelt down beside Alex. I reached out for her and then stopped, looking back up at Mab. “Can I touch her?” I asked “or will it break the magic?”

“You may touch her.”

I took her hand. Her skin felt cool but there was a pulse, faint and slow but it was there. 

I turned back to Mab. “She is near death” I explained. “If she takes my blood now......”

Mab's expression cleared. “She would become like you?” She paused. “Well, that must be your decision now. I have done all I can for her.” She stepped back.


	9. Chapter 9

I sat beside Alex's makeshift bed for a long time, holding her hand, possibilities running around in my head like rats in a cage. Could I do this to her? Should I? Did I have the right to make such a decision for her? I wanted to, I won't deny it. The thought of losing her terrified me. But what would she think? If she woke a vampire? Would she hate me as I had hated my maker? I couldn't bear the thought of that. We had only spoken of this once. Alex had instigated a conversation and I recalled my horror at the very suggestion. I was convinced that she couldn't know what she was asking, no mortal ever could. We had said we would talk about it again but somehow......we never did. How I regretted that now!

I was sitting there, staring down at her pale hand, stroking her wedding ring when I felt a light touch on my shoulder. This time when I looked up Azaria stood beside me, Queen Mab behind her. 

“Grandmother brought me here” she explained quietly. “She told me what had happened, she's worried about you Bill.”

“I can't heal her” I said, looking up at her helplessly. “She's too far gone for that. The only alternatives are either to turn her, or to let her die.”

“Then turn her!” she said, without the slightest hesitation. “You can't let her die Bill, you just can't!”

“Should I? Do I have the right to do that to her?” I asked.

“She loves you Bill” Azaria crouched down beside me.

“You told me you loved Lazlo! Until he turned you!” I cried.

“Until he betrayed me!” Azaria reached for my hand. “Lazlo was a selfish psychopath! Do not ever try and compare yourself to Lazlo!”

“But I hated my maker! I despised Lorena for what she did to me!”

“This is not the same thing Bill” she said quietly. “This is quite the opposite. You hated Lorena because she killed you! She took away your human life and dragged you into another world, a world you knew nothing about, away from all your family and friends, everyone you loved. This is different. If you do nothing Alex will die. You will be bringing her back to her friends, to the people who love her, who she loves........to you Bill, she loves you, you know that!”

I looked down at my fingers, still gently caressing Alex's wedding ring. A bright red tear fell onto her pale hand. “I don't know what to do Azaria” I wept. “Tell me what to do!”

She sat back on her heels and looked me directly in the eyes. “Do you love her?” she asked.

I was shocked and angry at this question. “How can you even ask me that? Of course I love her!”

“Do you want to lose her?”

“No......of course I don't but......”

“But what?” she asked. “I don't see the problem here Bill! I know you love her and I know she loves you. Didn't she risk her life to try to help you? How can you even consider allowing her to die? You're meant to be together! She married you didn't she?”

“But what did she say Azaria? When she married me? …....'til death us do part......well, perhaps now is the time....”

Azaria sighed. “She'd be so furious if she knew you were beating yourself up over this Bill” she said quietly. “And you know it, don't you?”

I gazed sadly down at Alex. “I want to do this......for me. I don't want to lose her. Although she said she didn't want to leave me, I don't really know whether she would want this or not but if I don't do it, I'll never know, and I'll spend the rest of my time on this earth wondering.......” I sat up straighter. “I have to do this!”

I turned to Azaria, a new determination in my voice. “We need to get back, we need to sleep in the earth together. I'll have to get Harry's security to guard us. I can't imagine how they allowed her to get hurt in the first place!”

Queen Mab had been standing back listening to our conversation but now she stepped forward. “You can sleep here. She is of our blood, the earth itself here will guard her.” She held out a hand and I felt the earth tremble beneath my feet. A crack appeared, widening as I watched, until a long narrow grave had formed, big enough to hold us both.

“Will I be safe here?” I asked.

Mab smiled. “You are my ambassador William, nothing here would dare harm you!”

As I looked up at the Faery Queen an awful possibility occurred to me. I knew it would be dangerous to ask her but at this point I just didn't care. I had to know the truth. 

“I have just one more question for you my Lady” I said firmly. “How did you find her? How did you even know she was in trouble?”

Mab regarded me for a moment with her head on one side. “You think I had something to do with this? Oh William!” she stepped forward and put a hand on my arm. “I made a big mistake earlier in the cottage. I should never have.......” she paused for a moment. “Very few men have ever refused me William. I will not deny that I wondered briefly what you would do if she were gone....but only briefly, I promise you. I know how much you love her and after what you have done for me I would never do anything to hurt you.”

I knew she was telling me the truth. If she had really wanted Alex gone, she would be dead by now. 

“She called to me William.” she explained quietly. “The same way you did.”

I looked down at Alex and saw the opal necklace that had first belonged to Daisy and then to Edith, Alex's great grandmother. Of course! Knowing that I couldn't reach her before sunset she had used the necklace which Mab had enchanted to call to the only other person who could help her.

I turned back to Azaria. “I want you to do something for me” I said, taking her hand. “You need to go back home and wait for us. I want you to organise a blood donor, two maybe. Gerry will know how to arrange it.” I glanced back at Alex lying on the furs, still and cold “she'll be hungry.....”

Now that I had made the decision I felt a strange exhilaration running through me. I realised that I wanted this, that I had always wanted it. I had fought against it and I knew that I would never have done it under any other circumstances, but now.....this was different. It was as though the decision had been taken out of my hands and I was glad of that. I knew that I would never have turned her against her will but I also knew that I couldn't let her die, I couldn't lose her, not now......

Mab put a hand on Azaria's shoulder and bent her head to murmur something. She nodded and they moved away. I assumed that Mab was taking her back to our world, understanding perhaps that I needed privacy for what I was about to do. I sat down on the furs and lifted Alex's limp, unconscious body into my arms. I held her there for a moment against me, listening to the faint slow beat of her heart, knowing that this would be the last time I heard it. I felt a pang of loss at the realisation that this would be the last time I felt the warmth of her flesh against mine. Suddenly a wave of furious anger flooded through me at the thought of those who had done this to her, tried to take her away from me. I was determined that they would not succeed! I would bring her back and we would find them together. I would make them suffer as I had suffered!

I kissed her still, cold lips. “Forgive me my love, but I cannot bear to lose you!” I whispered as I bit down into her throat. She had lost a lot of blood through the savage wound to her head and her pulse was so weak that I had to make an effort to draw out what remained. As her faint heartbeat grew fainter still I paused and looked down into her closed eyes. “Come back to me sweetheart, you promised remember? You are bound to me, forever! You cannot leave me. I won't allow it”

I bared my fangs again and sliced into my wrist, holding it so that the slow trickle of blood flowed over her mouth. At first it poured over her closed lips and began to drip down her chin. “Come on Alex darling, drink!” I whispered. As if she had somehow heard my plea, her lips parted and my dark blood flowed onto her tongue. Weakly at first she began to drink, gradually growing stronger until I felt her hand lift up and take hold of my wrist, holding it in place. She did not wake, did not open her eyes, but when I judged that she had drunk enough I lifted her in my arms and climbed into the earth with her. For a moment I wondered how I would cover us but then the earth began to move of its own accord protecting her as Mab had promised. In moments we were lost to the darkness.


	10. Chapter 10

I could remember the pain. The sudden agonizing burst of stars, and the fear as I lay helpless under the willow tree. I remembered the sensation of my blood oozing from the wound and spreading out into a dark pool on the grass. But nothing else. It was as though my memory had leaked away with the blood. The next thing I remember was waking in the darkness. I opened my eyes but I could still see nothing. My cheek was pressed against something firm but covered with cloth and I could feel arms around me, Bill's arms! I tried to move but I was held tightly, there was something surrounding me, weighing me down. What had happened to me? Where was I?

“Alex?”

It was Bill's voice. He was holding me tight in his arms, my face pressed to his chest. I tried to pull back but I couldn't move at all. I couldn't imagine what had happened to me, why couldn't I move?

“It's alright sweetheart, everything's going to be alright.”

Bill's voice was calm and reassuring and I began to relax, until I felt something moving all around us. Shifting, something brushing against me as I began to feel whatever was holding me loosen its grip. I rubbed my fingers together and felt.....earth! Oh my God! I was buried in the earth! All those old Victorian stories of premature burial I had ever read, like Edgar Allen Poe's “The Fall of the House of Usher”, came flooding back to me. I panicked and began to struggle realising with horror that I couldn't breathe. 

Bill's arms tightened around me. “Don't panic” he whispered calmly. “You're going to be fine!”

He was obviously right as I was okay but how could I possibly have survived, buried in the earth? The realisation of what he had done crept over me like a cold wave, prickling on my skin. Of course! I hadn't survived had I? I remembered the cold feeling of knowing that Bill couldn't help me, couldn't reach me in time to save me. But it seemed that he had. Or at least.......in a way.....

I felt his hard, taut muscles shifting under his clothes as he pushed up through the earth which seemed to shift itself to allow us through. Suddenly we broke through into the open air. I took a breath, purely on instinct, somehow I knew deep down that I didn't need to......that I would never need to breathe again. He lifted me in his arms, walked over to a stone bench covered with furs and sat down holding me in his lap.

For a while I simply sat there clinging to him, stunned at the knowledge of what had happened to me and Bill simply held me in silence.

“Tell me what happened” I whispered. “Where are we, how did you find me?”

“We are in Faery and I didn't find you” he breathed. “I found where you............where it happened.”

“They killed me didn't they?” I asked.

Bill’s grip on me tightened. “No........no they didn't kill you sweetheart.” He paused, seeming to brace himself, “I did that....”

“You........?”

“Please forgive me my love. I had no choice! I've......”

“I know what you've done Bill, I'm not stupid!” I wriggled out of his grasp so that I could look up at him, into the brilliant blue eyes of the man I adored. “But how did you find me? It was well before sunset when they left me to die on the riverbank. I was sure that you couldn't get there in time and so were they!”

He looked down at me and seemed about to ask who “they” were, but then he put that aside for the moment. “I felt it, felt your pain......it woke me and I simply ran out of the house heading for the river, I could still feel you.....”

“But Bill! it was still daylight then!”

“It was just before sunset....I was burned, but not too badly. The pain was nothing compared to the pain I felt when suddenly I couldn't sense you anymore.”

He turned my face to his and kissed me. “I was convinced that you had died! Gerry arrived and we carried on to the river bank. I found the place where you had fallen, there was a pool of your blood between the roots of the willow tree. But there was no sign of you! I was sure that the people who had done this would have left you there for me to find......”

Again I saw the hard, coldness appear in his eyes as he thought of who had done this. 

“Then I remembered what Lilith had felt. How she had lost touch with me suddenly when we went to Faerie and so I summoned Mab and she told me what had happened. She had found you, badly wounded, near death, and had taken you to Faerie.” He gave a little smile, the first I had seen from him. “You know how it is here, she can control time? Well she had put you into some kind of stasis. She was unable to heal you, the damage was too great, but she had kept you alive for me.”

He stopped, gazing intently into my eyes. “Please say you forgive me!” he said again. “I had to do it, I couldn't bear to go on without you.”

“Forgive you for what? For not letting me die? That's not something I need to forgive you for Bill! You know I wouldn't want to leave you!”

“If only it were a simple as that” he murmured. I could see in his face the strain of the hours he had spent agonising over his decision. 

“It is as simple as that!” I exclaimed. “Either you turned me, made me vampire, or you let me die! Those were your choices, right?” He nodded numbly.

“Then let me help you out here. If you had been able to ask me, I would have chosen this! I don't want to leave you Bill, any more than you want to leave me.”

He didn't look convinced. “You remember that discussion we had once......about my soul? You know what the church believes, that vampires have no souls, that they are lost when they are turned. What if I've done this to you?”

“I'll bet Mr Venables doesn't believe that!” I said lightly.

“Peter Venables is a very unusual man! You know that, just as you know what the official church line is!” he answered sternly.

“You did this to save me Bill, you know you did!”

“Yes! Yes I did, but I can't deny that I also did it for me, because I needed you!” He looked down at me with a bleak fear in his beautiful eyes. “What if they're right Alex? What if I have damned your soul? Taken away your chance for salvation through my own selfishness?”

I lifted my hands and placed them on either side of his face, his flesh felt warmer to me somehow, perhaps because mine was now cool as well. “Now listen to me Bill. I never wanted to grow old and leave you, you know that! I love you! If you had asked me, I would have agreed. Okay, maybe I wouldn't have wanted it to happen right now but in the circumstances it was the only thing you could do. If there had been an opportunity to ask me what I wanted, I would have said yes. If salvation means being taken away from you, then I don't want it. I want you!”

I watched as the lines of worry on his face relaxed and he smiled. “Thank you” he whispered, pulling me closer and just brushing his lips against mine. It felt like an electric shock so intense was the sensation of his lips on mine. I pressed myself closer, instinctively deepening the kiss, but to my surprise he pulled away. 

“I think we should get you home” he said, smiling down at me. “You must be hungry?”

I hadn't even thought about it before but as soon as he said it I realised that I was hungry, very hungry. To my horror I felt my teeth lengthening as he spoke and he smiled again at my shocked expression, touching the great opal ring on his finger as he did so.

A moment later Queen Mab appeared, materializing out of thin air and walking towards us over the grass. “Alexandra my dear” she murmured. “I am proud that you share our blood and have always considered you a worthy match for William. I am so sorry I couldn't help you.”

“Oh but you did my Lady” I answered. “You did.”


	11. Chapter 11

Queen Mab took us to the archway in the cliff face which opened onto the fireplace in the Mill House and then vanished with a final smile at me. When we walked into the hallway we found Azaria talking with Gerry. He stared at me for a moment with his mouth open and then turned to Bill. “Um.....I've got a couple of donors for you, Azaria told me what happened.......”

Clearly he wasn't sure whether he should congratulate Bill or not. Bill smiled at him.

“It's okay Gerry, she's not mad at me!”

He gave a sigh of relief and relaxed. “Oh thank the gods! What happened? One minute you were there with Mab on the riverbank and then you just......vanished!”

“Mab had found her and taken her to safety” explained Bill. “But it was too late to save her........I had no choice!”

Gerry nodded solemnly “I see.” He turned to me. “You must be hungry Alex! We have a couple of donors in the kitchen for you....oh, that sounds bad!”

I laughed. I couldn't help myself. This was so unlike the normally suave and smooth Gerry. He really didn't know quite how to react to me.

“Thanks Gerry” I smiled. “That's very sweet of you, but I'm a little confused right now. It'll take me some time to........to get used to this....”

Bill put an arm around me. “Okay.....Alex needs to feed and we'd like to be alone please. I want everyone to leave.” He turned to Harry, who had come in while we were speaking. “You too please Harry, I want everyone outside the building.”

“Mr Compton, I'm.......I'm so sorry.” Harry stood in the doorway with his head down. “This won't take a moment. I just want to hand in my resignation. I failed you......and I failed your wife......”

“No!”

Harry looked up, surprised.

“I won't accept it!” Bill walked over to Harry and put a hand on his shoulder. “I can't deal with this right now Harry. Please, can we talk about this later? I don't know what happened but I'm sure you and your men did everything they could.”

“Um.....Bill” I murmured, reaching for his hand. “Two of Harry's men were killed trying to protect me......”

Bill froze for a moment and then turned back to me looking horrified. “Killed!” he turned back to Harry. “I'm so sorry......I had no idea!” His voice turned colder and harder. “I swear I'll find out who's behind this and they are going to pay! But for now will everyone please leave.”

Gerry nodded to Harry and they left together. 

“You too Azaria if you don't mind?” asked Bill apologetically.

“Hey! No problem!” she smiled. “Gerry can drop me off at Dan's. You two need some time alone.” She came over and gave us both a light kiss on the cheek and headed out after Gerry. 

We stood together in the hallway for a moment and then Bill opened the kitchen door. I saw a strange man and woman sitting at the kitchen table talking quietly with their backs to us. “Good evening” said Bill politely.

They turned to us. “Mr and Mrs Compton?” asked the woman, a stunning blonde.

“That's right” said Bill, putting an arm around my shoulder and urging me into the kitchen with him. “Do you have.....backup?” he asked.

I was puzzled but the woman seemed to understand what he meant. “Our driver is outside, he'll look after us.”

“Excellent. My wife and I both need blood, urgently.” He put a hand in the small of my back and pushed me forward gently as the young man stood up and turned to me. With a shock I realised that he couldn't have been much older than eighteen. I turned to Bill.

“I can't......I can't do this....”

“Yes, believe me you can.” Bill smiled at me encouragingly. “They are volunteers, and they are being very well paid. Come on, I'll keep an eye on you, don't worry!”

The young man smiled at me and bent his head back, presenting his throat and I felt my fangs slide out as I saw the blood vessel pulsing under the skin. Suddenly the hunger I had felt seemed to intensify dramatically and I could hardly tear my eyes away. With a final glance at Bill I leaned forward and bit into his skin, the sharp fangs slicing through his flesh like butter. 

The moment his hot blood spurted into my mouth I forgot everything else. I only knew that I needed this and I drank it down greedily. After a few moments I felt the boy weakening and I paused, I knew that I should stop but the pull of the blood was too strong and I latched onto his throat again. Suddenly there was a hand on my shoulder pulling me back. I fought against it for a moment until I realised that it was Bill and, with a huge effort, I pulled back.

“Good girl! very good!” he whispered softly into my ear. “Now you must wait a moment. I need to feed as well. I gave you a lot of my blood and you didn't have that much left for me!”

The boy sat down weakly on one of the kitchen chairs and I backed away guiltily as Bill fed quickly and neatly from the blonde woman. As I watched I felt a unexpectedly fierce jealousy burning in me. I had never before seen him feed on anyone but me...... I stood beside the door as he escorted the blonde woman into the yard and another man came in and helped the young man out to a car. Then Bill came back in and we were alone in the house.

He reached forward and wiped a trace of blood from my lip with a gentle smile. “Come on, we need to get you clean, your hair's full of earth and dried blood!”

“Urghh!! Why on earth didn't you say something sooner!” I squeaked. 

“Well, I wanted to get you on your own obviously. I plan to get you clean personally!” Bill gave me a salacious little smile.

I felt a little shiver run through me and I reached for his hand. As I touched him I felt a tingle in my fingertips. His skin felt soft and smooth under my fingers. My initial hunger for blood satisfied it seemed that all the other hungers that I could no longer satisfy, for food, for wine, even for the touch of the sun on my skin, had coalesced into one hunger........ for him, for Bill, my lover.... my husband...... my maker.

I followed him down the stairs to our rooms and when he stopped and turned to me I reached for him, feeling the powerful muscles of his shoulders and arms. He smiled down at me and obligingly pulled the shirt over his head, as I stood gazing at him, fascinated by his perfect ivory flesh. I had thought I knew every inch of his body. That nothing about him could surprise me, but now.... I realised, of course, that all my senses had been heightened by the change. I had known this before but knowing it and experiencing it were two very different things. I struggled to concentrate, there was so much I wanted to ask him, so much I needed to know, but somehow I couldn't tear my eyes away from him. He had a pure, breathtaking beauty that had only been hinted at to my mortal eyes. I wanted him now, more than I ever had before.

He drew me into the bathroom and turned on the shower, then reached for my shirt and pulled it gently over my head. I began to unfasten his belt and he smiled and slipped his hands behind me to unfasten my bra. 

Soon we were both naked and he pulled me into the shower with him and began to run his fingers through my hair. When it was thoroughly wet he reached for a bottle of shampoo and began to work the soap into it. Dirty water tinged with blood began to run down my body and into the drain between our feet. I tore my thoughts away from the source of the blood with an effort and began to soap his chest, moving down over his flat stomach until my fingers were working the soap into the thick dark hair at his groin. Gradually the movement of his fingers in my hair stilled and I knelt down in the shower before him and gently kissed his stomach. 

I felt his skin twitch where my lips touched him but he didn't move and I ran my tongue down into the hair and onto the velvety soft skin of his shaft, running it down his length and curling it around the tip. He stood absolutely still, his hands on my head as I took him in my mouth, marvelling at the feel of him. I had always been nervous of this, afraid of Bill's size, afraid that I would choke, be unable to breathe, but now I realised that I had nothing to fear. I didn't need to breathe! I felt his stiffness rubbing against the roof of my mouth and I began moving my head so that the tip of his shaft slid down my throat. He gasped and his fingers tightened in my hair, holding me still as he moved his hips, pushing himself deeper into my mouth. 

Suddenly he stopped and pulled back, looking down at me, seemingly shocked by his own actions. “Come here sweetheart, let's get your hair clean” he murmured in a slightly embarrassed voice.

I stood up obediently and let him carefully rinse the soap out of my hair. Then he wrapped me in a warm fluffy towel, picked me up in his arms and carried back out to the bedroom. He sat down on the bed holding me in his lap and kissed me gently. I put my arms around his neck and tried to pull him towards me but he held back.

“Alex wait, before we do anything else I want you to listen to me carefully!” he said looking down into my eyes. “As your maker, I release you.”


	12. Chapter 12

As he said the words I felt something, a slight shifting sensation in my chest as though something had moved, was preparing to break. “Um....I'm sorry? What does that mean exactly?” I asked, puzzled.

“You understand that vampires have considerable power over their progeny?” asked Bill. “I've tried to explain the power Lorena had over me. She was able to command me, force me to obey her until she released me and I was able to leave her.”

All of a sudden I began to feel cold. “You.......you want me to leave you?” I asked in a small voice.

Bill pulled me to him and hugged me tightly. “No!......oh God no, never!” he cried “but I want you to be free Alex.”

I began to see what he meant. I gave him a mischievous little smile. “You don't want me to have to obey you then?”

“Well.....” 

“Aha! I knew it!” 

He gave me a guilty little grin. “Well.....yes! I'd like you to obey me.....obviously!” He gave me another little kiss. “But I want you to obey me because you want to.....not because of some kind of compulsion. I don't want to have that kind of power over you Alex. I want you to be with me because you love me.”

“Do I have to agree to this?” I asked.

“Yes......”

“Well I don't!” I said firmly.

“But Alex!”

“No buts! I love you and I want to be with you and that's all there is to it! I bound myself to you remember? Voluntarily?”

He stared at me for a moment and then relaxed. “Very well.....as long as you're aware of it. If you ever feel you want me to release you formally, just ask me.”

“Just don't try ordering me around” I murmured. “Except possibly in certain specialised circumstances.....”

Bill's smile lengthened, telling me that he knew exactly what I meant. He stood up, still holding me in his arms, and turned round climbing up onto the bed and tossing me into a pile of pillows. I stretched out comfortably on the pillows and Bill watched me for a moment, his eyes sparkling with a barely suppressed excitement.

I felt for him through the blood bond, anticipating the powerful sensation of his arousal but I got a nasty shock. I felt something, but it was faint and vague, nothing like the powerful connection I had been used to.

“Bill!” I sat up suddenly. “Can you feel me?”

He flexed his long fingers and eyed my body speculatively. “Sure! Where should I start!”

“Not like that! I mean through the bond!”

He stopped kidding around and became serious again immediately. “Yes, but only faintly. Don't worry!” He took my hand and kissed it. “The change has given us a different kind of bond. One that has given me power over you. But when we exchange blood again our old bond will build back up.”

He moved towards me and reached for my hips, pulling me towards him then leaning forward to kiss my stomach. The touch of his lips seemed to send an electric shock through my skin. I gave a little moan and I felt Bill's lips curl into a smile.

“You like that huh?” He whispered, trailing his tongue over my skin, making me squirm on the pillows. 

I was incapable of responding as he stretched his body over mine and began to nuzzle at my throat. The sensation of his smooth flesh against mine was so intense I soon felt that I couldn't bear it any longer. I wanted him so badly. I'd probably have been embarrassed if I'd stopped to think about it, but I didn't. I reached around and took hold of Bill's thigh, pulling him down on top of me and wrapping my leg around his hips. His hard erection was pressed urgently against my stomach and I squirmed against him, eliciting a little growl of pleasure as he shifted his hips and slid himself inside me with a sigh.

The pleasure was simply indescribable but was exactly what I wanted more than anything else at that moment. I let out a little whimper of satisfaction and began to murmur encouragement into his ear. I felt his hand slide around under my hips and lift me up altering the angle and enabling him to penetrate deeper. I hung limp and relaxed in his hands, feeling as though fireworks were going off in my head and were sparking off an explosive pressure in my loins which increased until there was nothing else in the whole world but this. The feeling of Bill's soft lips on mine, of his smooth hands on my skin, of his hard flesh driving into me, filling me up until I began to convulse around him, white hot pleasure coursing through every inch of my body, shaking with the sudden, overwhelming pleasure.

I lay back gasping in his arms. Quite unnecessary I know but I just couldn't help it.

“Oh Bill!” I turned to look at him. “Has it always been like that for you?”

He leaned over and kissed my neck, his lips brushing over my earlobe as he whispered “always my love, right from the very beginning.” He smiled gently. “I have tried to explain to you how mind-blowing sex can be between two vampires, but I guess you have to experience it to understand.”

Suddenly his eyes lit up as an idea occurred to him. “Come with me!” 

He picked me up and in a blur of movement we rushed upstairs into the kitchen. There were a few cups on the table which Bill's security guards had used for their coffee break earlier. Bill brushed them off with a sweep of his arm and turned me to face the table, pushing me face down on the rough oak surface. I felt the smooth flesh of his thighs pressing against me and the pressure of his member, solid and heavy against my buttocks and then he was inside me pushing me against the edge of the table. His hands grasped my waist and held me down as I squirmed and writhed against him in absolute, perfect bliss. I wanted it to go on forever but, all too soon, Bill released me with a groan.

“God, if you knew how long I've wanted to do that!” he gasped. “I've never dared because I was afraid I'd lose control and harm you but.....are you okay?” he paused “Oh Alex I'm so sorry if I hurt you......”

“Bill?”

“I'm sorry, truly I am! I promise......”

“Bill!”

“What is it sweetheart?”

“Can we do it again.......?”

…..........we did it again.............

Hours later we lay wrapped in a silk sheet in the huge bed downstairs talking quietly together. I was lying on my back with Bill, tracing delicate patterns over my newly sensitive skin and murmuring endearments. I had an arm wrapped around his shoulders, trailing my fingertips over the powerful muscles in his upper arms.

“You mustn't let me get away with anything you don't want, you know that?” he whispered.

“Why would you think of that?” I asked with a giggle.

“Well......many vampires become bored with sex over the centuries, and since they have such power over their progeny they are able to persuade them into all kinds of........perversions.”

I laughed. “Really? What kind of perversions did you have in mind?” Then suddenly a thought struck me. “This is why you pulled back from me in the shower isn't it? You were afraid you were influencing me in some way! Oh Bill, that wasn't it at all! I was just curious........I want to be able to give you pleasure.”

Bill gave a shy little smile. “Oh you do that all right, you always have done.....” 

He traced his tongue across my lips and pressed his soft mouth to mine. In seconds we were kissing frantically and I arched my back to push myself against him again. We were tangled together in the sheet so tightly that we could barely move but the friction of our bodies rubbing together was driving us mad for each other.

Bill rolled on top of me and thrust his knee between my thighs trying to force my legs apart. I laughed and wriggled under him driving him to even greater efforts. Suddenly there was a tearing sound as the sheet ripped. The bindings around us loosened abruptly and Bill pushed my thighs apart with his knee and thrust himself into me with a snarl. I had felt this before, this truly animal passion in him and, to be honest, it had scared me a little, but this time I felt something awaken in me and stretch itself, something that could match his passion. I drew up my knees and wrapped my legs around him encouraging him. As I felt the pleasure rising in me I reached around and grasped his buttocks, dragging my fingers up his back, feeling my long nails digging into his flesh.

He gave another snarl and thrust into me harder until I began to see stars flashing across my vision and my body went into convulsions around him yet again. He turned his head and sank his fangs into my throat just as I did the same to him. As I swallowed a mouthful of his delicious blood I felt an intoxicating rush almost like a shot of alcohol and then I was overwhelmed by the heady combination of pain and pleasure which came from his bite.

Afterwards we lay together tangled in the sheet, our bodies twitching with remembered pleasure. I opened my eyes drowsily and noticed to my horror, half a dozen long streaks of blood on the sheet over Bill's back and buttocks. 

He saw the look in my eyes and smiled down at me taking my hand and licking traces of his blood from my fingertips. “So my little kitten has grown some claws has she?”

“Oh Bill, I'm so sorry!” I gasped.

“Don't apologise!” he laughed. “I enjoyed it! Didn't you?”

“Oh yes!”

“Good....” He laid his head on my shoulder and whispered into my ear. “You know I fucked you harder than I would ever have dared before?”

I laughed quietly “Oh I noticed that!”

“Oh Alex, darling.......for a while there I really thought I'd lost you.”

“For a moment there....you did” I murmured softly, teasingly into his ear. “Do you want to know what heaven looks like?”

He gazed into my eyes. “Oh I think I already know that!”

I laid my head on his shoulder and felt my eyelids growing heavy. “You've tired me out at last!” I murmured, yawning.

“You feel tired sweetheart?”

I yawned again. “I didn't think vampires ever got tired?” I asked, feeling slightly confused. 

“It's not tiredness precious. What you feel is the dawn approaching.” He pulled me closer and I wrapped my body around him as he tugged the ruined sheet up over us. He gave a little sigh of pure contentment as the dawn pulled both of us into sleep.


	13. Chapter 13

I woke snuggled safely in Bill's arms in our familiar bed and, for just a moment, I thought that perhaps the events of the previous twenty four hours had merely been a strange dream.

Then Bill shifted slightly and I realised that our bodies were still tangled together as they had been for so many hours during our frantic night of lovemaking. I should have felt stiff and slightly sore, but I felt nothing, no pain, no stiffness, no tiredness. I relaxed into his arms, lazy with pleasure. After a moment I opened my eyes to see Bill's bright blue ones looking back at me from a few inches away.

“Good evening Mrs Compton, how do you feel?”

“Fine! Wonderful, in fact!” I answered stretching my neck to kiss his soft lips. He pulled me closer and trailed his lips across my cheek to nuzzle at my ear.

“Mmm, what's this?” he murmured, licking at my earlobe.

I remembered mourning the loss of the taste of food at one point during the night and Bill had gone to the kitchen and brought back my jar of honey. He had smeared traces of it on his skin, inviting me to taste him and I had discovered, to my delight, that I could taste the sweetness, just a trace on my tongue but it was enough. He had then begun to smear patterns on my skin with it and then industriously clean it off with his soft tongue.

“What's this? More honey? I thought I'd got it all! Now I'm just going to have to check everywhere again......”

Half an hour later he finally asked me the question I had been dreading. “Do you remember anything of what happened the night before last?”

I nodded slowly. “Yes, things are coming back to me.....”

“Would you like to tell me what happened?” he asked gently.

I looked up at him, considering. I wondered for a moment how he would react, but I knew I had to tell him what I knew. As much as I wanted to protect him from this knowledge I had to be honest with him.

“I was coming back from Carmilla’s. I’d seen the supplier and organized the next six months deliveries and Ed and Stan were following in the other car. I came round that bend in the lane just outside the village and there was a big black van parked right across the road! I just managed to pull up in time and just as I stopped I heard a huge crash and when I turned around I saw Ed’s car had been driven off the road into the ditch by another big van.”

I shivered at the memory and Bill lay down again beside me and put an arm around my shoulders. “Then what happened?” he asked.

“Well, I was shaken up and before I could do anything there was a man at the driver’s door. He wrenched the door open and made a grab for me. I couldn’t get away from him because I still had the seatbelt on and just then I heard two shots. I turned my head to look and…..oh God Bill….there were two men standing over the car in the ditch with guns! They shot them Bill! They just shot Ed and Stan in cold blood…..” I buried my face in Bill’s shoulder as I felt hot tears in my eyes. I wiped my face with the back of my hand and looked down at the streak of blood on my pale skin.

“No wonder Harry was so upset! I must talk to him later.” Bill hugged me a little tighter “and they meant to kill you too” he whispered, “But why? And if they meant to kill you why didn’t they just shoot you then and there?” He brushed back my hair so that he could see my face. “And who were they, did you recognize them?”

He looked into my eyes. “Alex? You know something don’t you…..tell me!”

I heaved a sigh. “Oh Bill….they, they wanted you to find me….to know that you might have saved me…..they did it to punish you!”

Bill stared at me in horror. “Me! Are you saying that this was my fault?”

“No, no of course not. Oh I knew you'd say that.....but I have to tell you the truth Bill, you have to know everything if we're going to figure out who did this.”

“Okay! I understand honey.......but if this was directed at me then who was it? You didn't recognise any of them?”

“No. I've been trying to remember but......it must have been the blow on the head.” I rolled over in frustration, staring up at the ceiling. “There was something, some kind of logo or insignia on his jacket, but I just can't remember.......”

I lay looking up at the ceiling as Bill’s hand gently caressed my shoulder. “It's okay sweetheart, don't worry about it now. Well, much as I’d love to stay here I think we’d better get up and face the world, don’t you?” He said quietly.

“I guess so….” I turned my head to look at him. “I’m…..I’m frightened Bill. I don’t know how people will react to me. I……someone tried to kill me!” It was only now beginning to sink in. Last night had been a blur of new feelings, new sensations. I had only thought about what was happening to me at the time, not what had caused this.

Bill held me to him and stroked my hair. “I know sweetheart” he murmured softly “it’s all new to you, but you mustn’t be afraid. I’ll be right there with you all the time, I promise.” He kissed my forehead. “We’ll find them baby, we’ll find out who did this to you, and I’ll make them pay!”

We walked into the kitchen half an hour later having showered and dressed and the first thing I saw was a box of eggs that I’d left on the counter top which I’d been meaning to use for supper when I got home from Carmilla’s. I stopped, staring at them in dismay. For a moment I almost burst into tears.

“Alex honey? What is it?” asked Bill.

“Oh it’s nothing!” I shook my head. “It’s just…..I’ve just realized that I'll never have to worry about what to make for dinner again! Ever!”

Bill smiled sadly. “It’s the little things that get to you in the beginning. But you’ll get used to it……..we all do.”

Just then there was a knock at the front door. I jumped. It seemed incredibly loud to me. Bill put his arms around me. “You will get used to it, I promise” he pulled out a chair. “Wait here, I’ll get the door.”

This was silly! I was a vampire, I couldn’t be scared of someone knocking at the door for heavens sake! I followed him to the kitchen door and looked out into the hallway. Gerry and Ulrich stood outside.

Gerry was grinning at Bill. “Is it safe for us to come in now?” he asked.

Bill stood aside with a laugh. “Get inside you idiot!”

Ulrich followed him and I walked out into the wide hallway to meet them. Gerry transferred his grin to me and Ulrich came over and took my hands. 

“Alex……..I don’t know what to say! It would seem hypocritical of me to say that I’m sorry. On the contrary, I should welcome you…..but I’m sorry for how it happened. In fact we still don’t know quite what did happen?” He glanced over at Bill. “Gerry assumed that there was some kind of accident?”

“Oh it wasn’t an accident!” said Bill harshly. “It was quite deliberate. “They ran her off the road and shot two of my security guards to get to her.”

Ulrich dropped my hands and turned to Bill looking horrified. “Who did? And why?”

“We don’t know who, but as to the why…..” Bill’s eyes flicked over to me and the pain I saw in them would have broken my heart. “It appears that they did it to punish me.”

“What the devil for?” asked Ulrich as Gerry gasped with surprise. 

“I have absolutely no idea!” answered Bill helplessly. “I wish I did…..then I might have some idea of who it might be!”

“You say they shot two of Harry’s men?” asked Ulrich.

“What will have happened to them?” I asked, feeling guilty that I hadn’t thought of this before. “Come to that, what’s happened to my car!”

“Does Harry know what happened?” 

“I think he must do” answered Bill. “He tried to hand in his resignation last night…..I need to speak with him…..”

“Then he’ll have reported to my security team” said Ulrich confidently. “I’ll check with them.” He flipped open a phone and walked a short distance down the corridor towards the garden door.

The thought of what had happened to Stan and Ed had made me angry and my fangs had slid out a little. “We have to find out what happened Bill, we can’t let them get away with this. And if someone’s nicked my car there’s going to be trouble!”

Gerry chuckled and leaned closer to Bill. “What was it that Russian, Sascha, said?” he whispered. “Tiny……but fierce!”


	14. Chapter 14

Just then I heard a car pull up outside and two people got out, I stood with my head slightly tilted listening, amazed at the detail I could hear. Not just the car doors closing but the chink of coins in the man’s pocket as he walked towards the front door and the slight scuff of the gravel under his companion’s feet as he walked around the car. There was a faint background beat as well, a curious double rhythm that I struggled for a moment to identify. It came as quite a shock when I realised that it was the men’s heartbeat I was hearing. I saw Bill watching me and he gave me a little smile that told me he knew exactly what I was thinking. Then he reached for the door just before the knock came.

Two men stood outside, one was a uniformed police officer and the other I recognised as Inspector Felton.

“Good evening Mr Compton. May we come in?” he asked politely.

“Certainly!” Bill stepped back to allow them to enter the hallway.

The Inspector glanced at Gerry and Ulrich who was still talking into his phone in a low voice. “We’d like to speak to you about an accident on the Oxford Road last night sir. Your wife’s car was recovered from the scene but it didn’t appear to have been involved in the accident itself.”

They’d recovered my car! I felt a flood of relief and then an equal flood of shame that I wasn’t thinking of Ed and Stan….. I kept quiet and left Bill to do the talking as I had no idea how much the police knew or indeed, how much the Authority wanted them to know.

“Would you like to sit down gentlemen?” asked Bill, indicating one of the sofas before the fireplace. The two policemen sat down on one and Bill and I sat on the other. Bill put an arm around my shoulders. It seemed a little intimate for the circumstances but as I sat gazing at the two policemen I felt my fangs begin to slide out a little at the rich, heavy scent of their blood and I realised why he had done it. I shuddered and tried to get a grip on myself.

Gerry pulled up a stool and Ulrich walked over, closing his phone, and stood with his back to the fireplace. “Well, it would appear that the Police were on the scene very quickly” he said. “I gather from my security team that another car arrived very soon after the “accident” and saw several men trying to drag the car belonging to Mr Compton's security detail out of the ditch. They fled the scene and the new arrivals called the Police. 

Inspector Felton leaned back against the sofa and looked up at him. “You seem very well informed Mr……Von Schrőeder, isn’t it?”

Ulrich smiled. “As I am sure you are well aware Inspector, the two men who died last night worked for the Vampire Authority. They were part of Chancellor Compton’s security.

“So, what exactly happened Mrs Compton?” asked the Inspector, turning to me. I glanced at Bill who gave me a slight nod so I told Inspector Felton everything I could remember about that evening. 

“Could you identify this man?” he asked.

“Well sure! If I saw him again.”

“He didn’t attempt to cover his face in any way?” asked the Inspector, sounding puzzled.

“I don’t think you quite understand Inspector.” Interjected Bill quietly. “He didn’t care if she saw his face because she wasn’t intended to survive.” He paused for a moment as if considering and then went on “as, in fact, she didn’t!”

I watched the conflicting emotions flit across Inspector Felton’s face. First amusement at what he imagined to be a joke then, as he took a closer look at me, shock, horror and finally embarrassment that I had seen his reaction.

“I…….um…..I see” he said.

“No Inspector, I don’t think you do” said Bill, his fangs sliding out a little. “My wife was supposed to die! She was supposed to die slowly from loss of blood from a severe head wound and I was intended to find her, but not until it was too late to save her!”

“But you…….”

“In that at least they succeeded. I was too late to save her mortal life.” Bill sighed and sat back. “I can see you don’t approve but I had no choice other than to let her die and I couldn’t bear the thought of that.”

“And neither could I!” I said firmly, taking his hand.

“I see” said the Inspector. “Well, that gives us one advantage at least, in that they presumably don’t know that she…..um……survived…..”

We all stared at him in silence.

“Okay!” he said, sitting up. “Do we have any theories? Any ideas who they might be?”

Bill sighed. “The suggestion was that this was aimed at me for some reason. But I have no idea why or by whom.”

The Inspector gave a little smile. “Do you have that many enemies Mr Compton?”

“You’d be surprised!” muttered Bill darkly.

“So you think a vampire was responsible” he asked, looking distinctly more comfortable with this suggestion. Then a thought struck him. “But that can’t be right! This happened during the day.”

Ulrich gave a harsh laugh. “We vampires may not be able to work our evil during the daylight hours Mr Felton but believe me, for enough money we can always find humans who are prepared to do it for us!”

“Yes, I’m sure you can!” he answered. “Well, as I’m sure you appreciate, despite Mrs Compton’s……..condition, this is a murder enquiry so I expect your co-operation. If you come into possession of any further information which might help us I expect you to let me know.” He gave Ulrich a hard look and Ulrich gave him a little nod in return.

“As you know we are always happy to assist the mortal authorities Inspector.” 

Inspector Felton smiled and began to turn to Bill.

“However…….”

He turned slowly back to Ulrich.

“…….we would be happy to assist you in tracking down the humans who killed our security men, but if we are able to discover who is behind this, and if it turns out to be a vampire, we would find it more appropriate to deal with them ourselves.”

Felton considered this for a moment. “Very well. I can understand that.” He turned back to Bill again. “We’ve found fingerprints on the door of your wife’s car which are clearly not hers. Unfortunately when we ran them through our database there was no match but if we could just take your prints Mr Compton? For elimination purposes.”

“Certainly” said Bill. “I’ll drop into the station later tonight if that’s okay?”

Everyone stood up and shook hands politely as the two policemen left. Gerry and Ulrich sat down again as soon as they had gone and stared at Bill.


	15. Chapter 15

“So? Who do you think could be behind this?” asked Gerry.

“It has to be someone high up in the Sanguinista movement” said Ulrich thoughtfully. They haven't forgiven you for ruining their plans to use Lilith as an excuse for going on a bloodthirsty rampage. Then there have been the other groups we've shut down since then, like the ones at The Pale Horse. They can't be too happy about your rise in the Authority.”

Bill sat back looking thoughtful. “Can you look into that?” he asked.

“Sure!” Ulrich stood up and moved towards the door. “Don't worry Bill, we'll find them, whoever they are.

Gerry got up as well. “I'd better be going too. I'm sure you still have a lot to discuss.”

We stood in the hallway and Ulrich kissed my hand before leaving. When the door had closed I turned to Bill and sighed. “I was right wasn't I? They don't know how to react to me.”

“It's a difficult situation for all of them, but for different reasons” said Bill. “To humans you have died and that's got to be a bad thing......and yet you're still here so they can't really offer condolences can they? To vampires your turning is a good thing and yet they don't like to congratulate you because in order to do it.....you've died!”

He gave me a little smile. “It's not something I ever had to deal with myself!” He held out his hand. “Come with me. I want to show you something.”

He led me down the corridor and out of the garden door. We walked out onto the lawn and stopped. “Look!”

I looked around, the moon was still almost full and it was not as dark as it might have been but I could see clearly, almost as though it were daylight. I heard an owl calling far away in the woods.

“Look up there” said Bill, pointing up at the night sky.

I looked up and gasped. The sky seemed to be alight with thousands of stars! Hundreds of thousands! The constellations that I was familiar with, Orion the hunter, The Great Bear and the Little Bear, Cassiopeia........they stood out brighter than ever before, but between them were thousands more, sprinkled over the heavens like sparkling dust. I knew that there were actually no more stars tonight than there had been before but now I could see so much further I could see so many more! I felt Bill's hand in the small of my back as I swayed on my feet.

“Here” he said with a laugh. “Sit down.....”

We lay on our backs on the lawn gazing up at the sky. “You see?” he said. “It's not all bad!”

“It's beautiful Bill! Just wonderful.......” I lay gazing up at the infinite vastness of the night sky. I thought of how I'd heard the beating of the policemen's hearts .........remembered the touch of Bill's flesh against mine. Everything was so much more....intense now! It was as though I had lived my whole life inside a locked room and the change, the infusion of Bill's blood had been the oil that greased the lock. The door stood open now and Bill, my beloved Bill, the man I loved more than life itself would be my guide in this new world.

I shifted over and snuggled up against him. “You will get used to it....I promise you” he said. “I'm sorry it happened this way but perhaps we should look at this as a new start for both of us. You remember asking me if I’d read The Lord of the Rings when we first went to Faerie to the cottage? I always though the saddest part of all was The Tale of Aragorn and Arwen. That she loved him so much she remained behind with him when all her people left for the Grey Havens. Then when he died she was left to wander Middle Earth alone, the last of her race. They made it a little easier for her in the movie though. What was it she said? _“I choose a mortal life……I would rather spend one lifetime with you than face all the ages of the world alone.”_

He sighed and pulled me closer. “I would have done that if I could Alex. I would have given up my immortality for you, but that wasn’t possible. I dreaded losing you, but I knew it would happen one day…….”

I put my head on his shoulder and looked into those brilliant blue eyes. “I love you Bill! You know that don't you? The time we've spent together has been the happiest of my life. But we both knew it couldn't last, not for you anyway. There was really only one way we could be together. I would have grown old and .....no!” I placed my fingers across his lips. “Don't say it! I know you love me......I know you would have continued to love me as long as I lived, and even after...... But that will never happen now. I will never change, I will never get sick.......and I will never grow old. It was a terrible decision to have to make and I'm glad that I didn't have to make it myself! I'm sorry that you had to suffer like that, but you made the right decision for me, for both of us. You know this don't you?”

Bill watched me silently for a moment, his bright eyes pink with tears. “Yes” he said finally. “I know. I've always known. I've thought about it many times, but only because I couldn't bear to lose you. You mentioned it just once and, although the idea of doing this to you horrified me, at the same time I was astonished by your courage. That you would risk so much for me.” He paused, looking down at me. “Perhaps this was the best way. I promised you that I would always be honest with you so I have to admit that I wanted this.......I always have done, deep down, but I could never have asked it of you. I don't know if I could have done it in any other circumstances, but now......now you will be mine forever......my beautiful angel......”

I was lying in his arms looking up at the stars so I didn't see the garden door open. I heard a soft cough and we looked around to see Azaria peeping out from the corridor. 

“Um......Hi! Everything okay?” she asked tentatively.

Bill and I stood up and he held out his hand to her. “Come and find out for yourself.”

She came over to me and gave me a tiny smile. “You know......if you're not happy about this, you shouldn't blame Bill. I talked him into it. It was my fault, he only wanted what was best for you. We just didn't know if you.....if......

I held my arms out to her. “Then I should thank you.”

“You're really okay with this?” she asked, the relief clear in her eyes.

“Yes, of course!” 

She flung herself into my arms and hugged me. Over her shoulder I saw Dan come out of the garden door and approach Bill.

“Is everything really okay?” he asked. “Azaria's been so worried that she may have done something terribly wrong. You do know that she worships you Bill?”

Bill smiled and put a hand on Dan's shoulder. “Everything's fine now, don't worry.”


	16. Chapter 16

For the first few nights I kept Alex by my side and she clung to me as the one constant in her rapidly changing world. It was unlike her as she was usually so independent but I remembered my own fear and confusion when I had first been turned and so I understood hers. 

Our first night together had been a tumultuous voyage of discovery for both of us. I had thought that I knew everything about her, that I was able to draw every last drop of pleasure from her body, but her newly found passion surprised even me. I frightened her at first as, in my concern for her independence, I attempted to release her from my control as her maker. It was foolish of me, I see that now, but I could only think of how much I had hated being bound to Lorena and forced to do her bidding. Alex’s feelings for me were completely different and our bond gave her comfort and reassurance in this strange new existence.

Once we had surmounted that hurdle, and I was glad to see that she had no qualms about chiding me for my stupidity, we spent the remainder of the night exploring our new physical relationship. I had not thought it possible that her body could give me any more pleasure, but I was wrong. I knew that she had worried that she was not enough for me, that sex with another vampire would be more satisfying for me because I would not have to hold back my passion as I did with her but she had not taken into account one simple fact. I loved her. I adored her and that made all the difference to me. No female vampire could ever have given me the pleasure I found in her. At least that’s what I had thought! 

Wrong again! But then I had never imagined turning Alex. No……that’s not quite true…..I had imagined it, in some of the darker and more disturbing of my dreams. But I had never seriously considered it in reality. Perhaps it was the trauma of my own turning, the horror with which I had always regarded the monster I believed I had become, but the idea of making my precious darling into the very thing I despised was totally abhorrent to me.

But now.......after I had helped her to feed off the young donor she had followed me obediently downstairs to our rooms. She needed to wash out the blood and dirt which marred her luxuriant black hair but I noticed that she appeared fascinated by me. When I turned to her she reached out and touched my shoulders, running her fingers over my flesh as though she had never touched me before. And I realised with a start that she hadn't, not like this. My blood within her was enhancing her senses for the first time and I was right there for her to experiment on. Soon I was lying on my back on the bed and she was astride my hips, completely naked, her skin glowing in the dim light, her long black hair, still damp from the shower, falling over my face enveloping me in a combination of the strawberry scent of her hair and the delicious scent of her Fae blood. I could feel myself drifting.....lost in the fragrance of her. There was so much I needed to teach her, so much that she should know.......but all that could wait.

Gradually I relaxed sufficiently to allow her out of my sight for short periods but there were still times when I looked at her and couldn't quite believe that she was real. That such a wonderful creature was actually here, with me. That she wanted to be with me. The core of who she was did not appear to have changed at all. She was vampire yes, there was a new strength and resilience about her, but she was also Alex. She was still that brave and tender hearted girl who had offered herself to me. Offered her blood to heal a vampire whom she barely knew. At first, when I had begun a relationship with her I had thought in the old ways, possessive and territorial like all our kind I had considered her to be “mine”. But I now realised that at some point during the last few years things had changed, she was no longer “mine”. I had become “hers”. For the first time in a century I began to think that maybe my kind were not all irredeemably evil after all. If such a creature could see something in me worthy of her love, then perhaps I was truly not the monster that I had once believed myself to be.

She was so young, that the sun had far more power over her than it had over me. She would slip into sleep earlier and wake later. I caught myself lying alongside her watching her sleeping. Testing myself to see how long I could last without touching her. Minutes usually, or less. I could almost feel my fingertips aching with the effort of not touching her and I would reach forward and stroke her cheek or her shoulder as if to reassure myself that she was really there.

Then one night, I finished some paperwork and got up to discover that she wasn't in the house. I wasn't worried as I could feel her, quite close by and I discovered her in the stables. She was sitting on a bale of hay surrounded by broken pottery and Oberon and Titania were both looking over their stable doors, regarding her curiously. 

I put my head round the door and looked around. “Do I need to order some more flower pots?” I asked.

She looked up at me and gave a great sigh. “Look Bill!” She held her hands together and began to slowly pull them apart. As she did so a faint blue light appeared between her hands, growing stronger as I watched.

“I'm so relieved!” she said, clapping her hands together and dispelling the Fae light. “I was afraid I might have lost it, the Fae power.”

“You should have asked me.” I said. “I could have told you that your blood is as delicious as it ever was. I always knew you still had Fae blood in you!”

I had always known that Alex was an intelligent and strong minded woman. That was part of her being, it was what I loved about her. Within a few weeks she appeared to have come to terms with what had happened to her and began to examine and test out her new abilities. I came out of the shower one evening to find her standing nude in front of the long mirror, examining herself critically.

“What are you doing?” I asked, after a moment's pause for contemplation. “Not that I don't appreciate the view......”

She turned sideways on to the mirror and ran a hand down her side to rest on her hip and then turned slightly, her thick glossy black hair falling down her back almost to the full, generous curve of her buttocks, reflected in the mirror. “I was just thinking....” she said, turning to face me with a sway of her hips that brought a lump to my throat. “If I'm going to look like this forever, it's rather a shame I didn't lose a bit of weight first!”

I laughed. “You are joking right?” 

I walked over and kissed her, on the lips, then on the throat and on each of her rosy pink nipples. Then I knelt down in front of her and began trailing kisses down her stomach, heading for the delicious patch of dark fur between her thighs.

“You........are........just........perfect” I murmured between kisses.

I was due at a meeting with Gerry and one of his colleagues that evening and, sadly, I was uncharacteristically late......


	17. Chapter 17

For the next few weeks Bill pestered both Ulrich and Inspector Felton constantly for updates on the investigation but there was no news from either of them. Ulrich was currently checking up on all the Sanguinistas that the Authority was holding in custody but it appeared that they were organised into separate cells and none of them had any knowledge of the senior levels of the organisation. Nevertheless this seemed more likely to produce results than the Police investigation which appeared to have also ground to a halt. They had the fingerprints from my car, but without any suspects to match them to it wasn’t much help.

Gradually Bill and I settled down into a routine and our lives went on much as usual.

One evening I had spent a peaceful half hour grooming Titania. I loved brushing her gleaming grey coat and combing out her long silver mane. Bill had already turned Oberon out into the big paddock to the side of the house and I led Titania out to join him, walking beside her through the gate. Oberon was on the far side of the paddock down by the river and I saw his head come up and turn to us as we appeared. She lowered her head and nudged at my shoulder and then she was off across the paddock and I found myself running beside her. She was heading for the river and her magnificent stallion at a flat out gallop and I was keeping pace with her effortlessly, in fact I felt that I could have outrun her. My hair flew out in a dark mass behind me as I ran and Titania held her tail high like a silver banner in the moonlight. 

We slowed as we reached Oberon and she went up to him and stood beside him laying her head across his back. He turned his head and began to nibble gently at the smooth arch of her neck. I left them to greet each other and headed back to the house, racing back through the orchard and across the lawn, slowing as I saw Bill sitting in a garden chair by the back door with his laptop on his knees.

“Enjoying yourself?” he asked, putting the laptop down on the grass and holding out his arms to me.

I climbed into his lap, my knees on either side of him and leaned forward to kiss him. “It's incredible Bill! I feel like I'm flying!” I looked down at him. “Is it like this for everyone at first? Was it like this for you?”

His expression darkened immediately. “No! It was nothing like this! I had no idea what had happened to me and the more I discovered, the more I hated her and despised her for what she had done to me!”

I ran my fingers through his hair and stroked them down his cheek. “I'm sorry Bill. That was a stupid thing to ask......”

He gave a sad little smile. “No......not really. It's a perfectly natural question. And the answer is no. It's not the same for everyone. The strength and power of the child depends on that of the maker. You are far more powerful than most young vampires because I have Lilith's blood in me. Also, the more of it you drink, the stronger you will become......”

He slipped his arms around my waist and pulled me closer turning his head to expose his throat and batting his eyelashes at me suggestively. I could feel the tension in his body as he held me. I knew how much he loved this, how he found it incredibly erotic and, to be honest, so did I. I leaned forward and trailed my tongue over his skin, feeling it twitch in anticipation. Running the tips of my fangs across his flesh, I instinctively found the perfect spot and bit down. He gave a sigh and his arms tightened around me as his thick sweet blood oozed out onto my tongue. I sealed my lips around the two tiny punctures and drank greedily, gratefully taking in the strength he offered me.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was about a month later that we received an unusual delivery one evening. Bill was in the stables checking up on the horses when the doorbell rang. I put down the book I was reading. It was one of Bill's, an antique volume bound in leather entitled “Gods and Monsters of Ancient Greece.” I opened the door to find two uniformed vampires outside, one carrying a large wooden crate with a label on the side addressed to Bill. I invited them in and directed him to put it in the hall.

“I need a signature to confirm delivery Ma’am” said the second vampire. 

I took the pen from his hand and signed the paperwork, then let them out and went back to the book. A few minutes later I heard Bill come back in through the garden door and called out “there’s been a delivery for you, it’s in the hall!”

His footsteps passed the study door and then I heard a creaking noise and a crunch as he prized the lid off the crate. “Oh great! It’s those books I asked Ulrich to get for me from the Authority’s Library!”

I hopped down off the sofa and ran out into the hall. “If I’d known it was books I’d have opened it myself!” I said, heading over to the crate. I looked down at it and fell suddenly silent.

“Bill!” 

He had lifted a volume out of the crate and was leafing idly through it. “Hmmm…what is it dear?”

“BILL!”

He jumped up and spun around to look at me. “Alex? Whatever’s the matter?”

I pointed at a symbol burned into the wooden lid of the crate, annoyed to see that my hand was shaking. “What.......what does this mean?”

Bill knelt down and examined the symbol. “I don’t know. I’ve never seen it before. It must be something to do with the Authority, see this part?” he pointed out the familiar Gothic A and the stylized fangs which were the symbol of the Vampire Authority. “But there’s more to this. Perhaps the Museum? Or the Library? That would make sense!”

“That’s it Bill” I whispered. “That’s the symbol I saw on the man’s jacket. The one who…….”

Bill looked up at me, eyes wide. “The Authority!” he stood up. “No, it couldn’t be……Ulrich would never..…..wait a minute, the Library.” 

Suddenly a flash of pure animal fury appeared in his eyes and his fangs snapped down fully. “Alberic!” he snarled. He stared at me for a moment, thinking. “He was furious when we told him we were going to give back the book….”

For a moment I was quite unable to process this statement. “The book?” I asked blankly. “Are you seriously suggesting someone tried to kill me over a book!”

“Not just any book. The Book of Flowers!” said Bill. “Alberic had custody of it for centuries. It was obvious that it had power of some kind, he must have known that. He just didn’t know what, exactly. Then he finally discovered what it was only to have it taken from him.”

“Surely no one would do something like that over a book?” I asked incredulously.

“Alberic is very old. He has very little, if any, concern for humans. He would have no qualms at all about using you to get to me.” Bill was pacing restlessly up and down the room as he thought about this. “I swear I’ll rip his damned head off!” he snarled furiously.

I put a hand on his arm. “Bill, wait! If he’s very old he’ll be far stronger than you right? I know you’re a lot more powerful than you should be for your age but please….be careful! Perhaps you should just tell Ulrich and see if the Council will punish him?”

They’d damn well better!” he snapped. “Or I’ll do it for them!”


	18. Chapter 18

When Bill had calmed down sufficiently to use the phone, he called Ulrich and explained what I had told him. I could hear the scepticism in Ulrich's tone from where I sat curled up on the sofa, shaking with delayed shock.

“Yes Ulrich, she's sure!” he growled, sitting down beside me and putting an arm around my shoulders. “She recognised the symbol on the crate straight away as the same one she'd seen on the jacket of the man who attacked her. You have to convene the High Council! He must be dealt with!”

I don't recall the rest of the angry conversation but three nights later we were in London at The Authority’s headquarters. Bill and I were walking down a corridor when I spotted a Ladies Room.

“I must just go and……” I waved a hand vaguely at the door.

Bill raised an eyebrow.

“Yes! I know I don’t need to…..come to think of it, why do you have them here at all?” I asked, curiously.

“Well, this place was built a long time ago, well before the Revelation. We could hardly explain then why we didn’t require such facilities could we? It was just too much trouble to glamour everyone involved, planners, designers, architects, builders…… Much easier just to let them put toilet facilities in. In fact, as we now have human visitors, very occasionally, it’s probably just as well!”

“Well, I need to go and powder my nose……..literally!”

I was regarding myself in the mirror when I heard the door behind me open and Lilith walked in. I froze and glanced down so as not to catch her eye. Although I had seen her occasionally we had not spoken since that night in the Hotel in Chicago when she had come to visit Bill.

“Alexandra, how nice to see you again” she said.

“And you too your Highness” I answered politely, with a slight bow.

She laughed and reached into her expensive designer handbag for a lipstick. “Oh come now child, I think that you of all people should call me Lily as William does.” She turned to smile at me. “After all we were very……close.”

I shivered as she turned to the mirror, trying not to think of what exactly she meant by “close”.

She touched up her crimson lipstick and examined herself critically in the mirror. “From what Ulrich tells me it seems that you may be about to deprive me of my librarian!” she said casually.

I stiffened immediately feeling the tips of my fangs ease out a little. “This was none of my doing your Highness. I never wanted any of this, all I wanted was to live in peace with my husband!” I paused. “Live, being the operative word in this case!”

She turned slowly and fixed her dark eyes on me. Geez, when would I learn to keep my mouth shut!

“You're an intelligent woman, you must be aware that you puzzled me from the very start.” she said thoughtfully. “I simply couldn’t understand why William was so obsessed with a mere human girl. But I see now that he was right about you all along Alexandra. You were a force to be reckoned with even when you were mortal. You will make a fine vampire and an admirable wife for William.”

She gave me a friendly smile and walked out.

I leaned back against the mirrored wall and sighed. Okay, so both of Bill’s female admirers thought that I was worthy of him. Great! I straightened up and lifted my head. Then I’d better get out there and prove it! I took a last look in the mirror and stepped back out into the corridor.

Bill was hovering right outside the door looking anxious.

“Are you okay?” he murmured quietly.

“Fine!” I gave him a confident smile and saw the tension ease immediately from his stance.

He led me through a series of corridors until we came to an impressive set of double doors which he opened and politely gestured for me to enter. I stepped inside and gasped in surprise. I found myself standing at the end of a long room with a highly polished marble floor. To either side of me were rows of stone columns which looked to my eyes to be very old and between them was a shallow pool of the type that you would find in the Atrium of a Roman Villa. On the far side of the pool was a long conference table at which were seated half a dozen vampires with Lilith at the head of the table. I saw Ulrich beside her and recognised Olivier Bertrand, the Magister who had conducted our binding ceremony, and Lydia, who had been one of the judges at Lazlo’s trial.

I felt Bill’s hand in the small of my back, encouraging me to move and I walked forward beside him around the pool and up to the table where he pulled out a chair for me and we sat down. I sat looking down at my hands for a few minutes while several other vampires arrived and took their seats. 

Ulrich shuffled some papers and looked up. “I believe we have some questions for your security guards Alberic?” he said looking down the table at a small nondescript looking man with what had to be the worst comb-over I’d ever seen! Was that really him? I was used to dealing with charismatic and dangerous vampires. I couldn’t believe that the most momentous change in my entire life had been brought about by someone so…….so ordinary! 

He stood up and looked down his nose at Ulrich. “This is really most inconvenient Ulrich!” he said sharply. “I would like to register a protest. It should never have been necessary for me to leave the Museum in the first place. And I’m certainly not happy about bringing my security guards here. Your men don’t have any experience in our line of work!”

Ouch! This guy really did have a short temper, and a fine appreciation of his own importance as well. He was starting to look like a more likely suspect. I saw him glance around the table his eyes passing over me and resting for a moment on Bill. I thought he looked a little surprised to see him but before I could wonder why, Ulrich spoke again.

“This won’t take long” he said, gesturing to the guard standing by the main doors. He opened the doors and four men walked in. They were wearing the dark combat uniforms of the Authority and I saw once again the curious symbol on the right sleeve of each of their jackets. They each walked up to the conference table and turned to face us. I didn’t recognise the first two but when the third man turned to face the table I flinched. Bill must have sensed my reaction and put a hand over mine.

“Is that him?” he whispered.

“Yes!”

None of the men had looked in our direction and they appeared surprised when Bill stood up and pointed at the third man. 

“You! Apart from your boss over there, do you recognise anyone around this table?” he asked.

The man looked around with a disinterested expression until his gaze fell on me. His jaw dropped a little and he stared at me in horror. 

“You appear to recognise my wife?” asked Bill, whose fangs had by now run fully out but otherwise appeared quite calm. 

He turned to me. “Is he the one who hit you?”

“No. He’s the one who spoke to me. I didn’t see who hit me, he came up from behind me.” I explained quietly.

Alberic, who had sat down looking bored when his men entered had now jumped up again and was staring at me in frank disbelief. “Your wife?” he asked incredulously, his pale eyes glaring at me.

“Is something wrong Alberic?” asked Bill, his polite tone completely at odds with the fury in his eyes. “Were you, perhaps, not expecting to see her? You thought, maybe, that she was……..dead?”

Ulrich put his hand up and gestured to Bill to sit down. For a second I thought he would ignore him but then he returned to his seat and took my hand again.

“Do you have anything to say Alberic?” asked Ulrich. “Is this true?”

Alberic said nothing and Ulrich stood up and stared angrily down the table at him. “Have you nothing to say for yourself? You ordered your men to murder Mr Compton’s wife? A Chancellor of the Authority! How dare you!” he roared.

Alberic gave Bill a venomous glare. “He took something precious from me…….it seemed only just.”

“You idiot!” yelled Ulrich furiously, slamming his fists down onto the conference table. “Not only have you compromised this Authority but your men screwed up! They were seen. There were witnesses to them leaving the scene and furthermore I have given my word to the Inspector in charge of the investigation that I will share any information I obtain with him!”

Ulrich took a deep breath. “These men will have to be handed over to the Police!” he announced firmly. 

There was a shocked silence from the Council. But the four security guards looked horrified. “You can't do that!” said the man I had pointed out, a trace of panic appearing in his eyes. “We were only obeying the Curator's orders. Besides I didn't do anything to harm her.......he did!” he pointed at the man on the far left and before anyone could do anything to stop him Bill was out of his seat and had snatched up the man by the throat and slammed him down on his back on the table.

“Bill!” Ulrich's voice was calm this time and quiet.

Bill ignored Ulrich and looked up at me and I a gave a tiny shake of my head. I somehow knew that if I had asked it of him, he would have killed the man, right there on the High Council's conference table regardless of the consequences. He looked into my eyes for a moment and then picked the man up again, tossed him to the floor like a rag doll and walked back to me.


	19. Chapter 19

At this point a group of Ulrich's guards came in and moved up to the group of Library guards. One of them pulled the fallen man to his feet and shoved him back towards the table.

“Take these men away and lock them up in the cells!” ordered Ulrich. He then stared down the table at Alberic who was looking completely shocked as his men were marched out of the conference room.

“What the devil do you think you're doing Ulrich?” he asked. “Those are my men! You have absolutely no right......”

“I have every right!” snapped Ulrich. “You do not use the Authority's employees to pursue some private vendetta!”

Bill was back on his feet in a flash. “Vendetta! This isn't some petty argument Ulrich.......he tried to kill her! He ordered his men to kill my wife!”

Alberic stared coldly across the table at Bill. I noticed that, after his initial surprise, he ignored me completely. His attention was all on Bill and it was obvious that, to him, I meant nothing. I was just a means to an end. A weapon to use against Bill.

“You took away one of our treasures! Something I have guarded for millennia!” he hissed.

“But it was never yours to begin with! You stole it from the Fae! You've never even been able to read it!” 

Bill turned to the rest of the High Council. “I demand that he must pay for this!”

There was an uncomfortable silence around the table.

“How would you suggest he should be punished?” asked someone that I didn't recognise.

“He arranged for the death of a mortal” said Lydia mildly. 

“He arranged for the death of the High Chancellor's wife!” snarled Bill through gritted teeth. “Over a book!” He glared at Alberic in absolute disgust. “A book he couldn't even read!”

He turned back to Lydia. “Is that acceptable in your eyes then? If he had arranged for the death of another vampire, would that be different?”

Ulrich sighed. “He is very useful to us” he said quietly. “As an archivist he is beyond compare. His experience is invaluable.”

Alberic gave Ulrich a smug little smile. “I'd have been happy to pay a fine to the High Chancellor to cover the loss of his human woman, but actually I don't see that he's lost anything by my actions. If he wanted the woman he should just have turned her anyway!”

Bill froze. I felt for him through the bond and could feel nothing but an ice cold anger. I knew how he had suffered, the terrible decision he had been forced to make when he had realised that he couldn't save my human life. For a moment he seemed almost confused by what Alberic had said.

“Do you actually believe that you could compensate me for the loss of my wife with money?” he asked sounding genuinely puzzled.

Alberic gave that smug little smile again. “I'm sure you could buy several more like her quite easily!” he said.

There was silence for a moment and then suddenly I felt a strange sensation. It was as though I was at the centre of a tornado. I felt the hairs on my arms stand up and a strange tingling feeling on my skin. Then Bill flung up a hand and I felt as though I had been transported back in time to Darius Ashman's house. Alberic was thrown backwards against one of the Byzantine pillars and pinned there by some invisible force. He gave a choked cry and began to struggle, but he was clearly unable to move. 

I glanced around the table expecting to see shock or possibly anger but all the Chancellors appeared fascinated by what had happened. Lilith was leaning forward with a expression which was positively hungry. As I put my hand on Bill's thigh I saw a flicker of blue light and I suddenly realised what he had done. He had used the Fae power that Mab had given him and had somehow drawn on mine through the bond to augment it. I gave his thigh a little squeeze and felt him relax as Alberic crumpled to the floor at the foot of the column.

Bill leaned forward and placed his hands on the edge of the conference table, I could see his knuckles whiten as he gripped it harder, struggling to keep his temper under control.

“I have risked my life for this Authority” he said, his voice trembling slightly with emotion. “You know how much I've done for you.......and so has Alex!” He stared into Ulrich's eyes. “He must die Ulrich! I have sworn it, and if you won't do it......then I will!”

This flat statement caused uproar around the table. Several vampires stood up and began shouting at both Bill and Ulrich. I glanced over at Lilith who was sitting motionless at the end of the table. She was watching the arguments with an enigmatic little smile.

After a moment she said “Silence!”

She didn't speak particularly loudly but somehow her voice cut through the chaos and there was a sudden complete hush. 

“William is quite correct” she said calmly. “Alexandra was no ordinary mortal, she is the chosen wife of my counsellor and the Fae Queen's ambassador, and as such she deserved to be protected by this Authority! Instead this vampire used the very men who should have protected her to kill her, simply to exact vengeance on William.”

Ulrich raised a hand and two more guards, of whom the Authority seemed to have an inexhaustible supply, came in through the main doors and took up positions on either side of Alberic. “I'm afraid I must insist that the High Council deal with this. Alberic will be placed under house arrest for the time being.”

Ulrich gestured to the guards. “Search the Curator and then lock him in his Museum. Place a guard on the doors.”

Bill was still standing with his hands on the edge of the conference table. His eyes followed the two vampire guards as they took Alberic away. When he spoke I thought his voice was surprisingly calm in the circumstances.

“You are bearing in mind that he also caused the death of two of my security guards? Guards who were employed by the Authority I might add. And that you assured Inspector Felton personally that, should a vampire be found to be responsible, you would deal with him?”

“And he will be dealt with!” Ulrich snapped. “Are you questioning my authority here?”

“Not at all” said Bill quietly. “We will await your decision then.”

Just then one of the guards returned and went up to Ulrich holding something out to him. “We found this on the Curator, Chancellor” he said. 

It appeared to be a crumpled piece of parchment. Ulrich glanced at it and shoved it into a pocket. “Thank you. There's only one way into the Museum, isn't that right?”

“Yes sir!”

“Guard the doors. No-one goes in or out, is that understood?”

“Yes sir!”


	20. Chapter 20

So we returned home, and waited. Later that night Bill received a phone call. He looked a little surprised when he answered it and I listened in to the conversation.

“Well, good evening Lily!” he said, “what can I do for you?”

He paused for a moment listening.

“Yes, I thought I'd made it plain that I wasn't happy with the result of the meeting, but there's not much I can do about it is there?”

I watched his eyebrows lift as he listened to her reply.

“Yes, I'm sure you could Lily and it's not that I don't appreciate the offer, but perhaps we should wait and see what Ulrich decides?”

He glanced at me and turned away, lowering his voice instinctively. “Yes Lily, I know that and I do appreciate it, really I do. I just think we should wait for now, that's all.”

He hung up and turned back to me with a sigh.

“Let me guess. She offered to get rid of Alberic for you, right?”

“Yes”

“But you turned her down?” I asked.

“Do you think I should have accepted her offer?” he asked.

I thought about this for a moment. “Well....no, actually I don't! I want him to be dealt with officially! I want them to acknowledge that what he did was wrong.....”

I just wasn't sure that was ever going to happen.

After a few nights a messenger came from Ulrich bringing the piece of parchment and asking if we had any idea what it was. Bill smoothed it out on the kitchen table and we saw, to our surprise, that it was written in the Fae script.

“Do you think he copied things out of the Book?” I asked.

“It's possible” said Bill thoughtfully. “I can't imagine where else he would have got it.”

 

For several weeks we heard nothing from the Authority. Bill called Ulrich and learned that Alberic was still being held under house arrest.

“I swear if they don't do something soon then I will!” he growled as he flipped his phone shut.

I was pretty sure that they wouldn't and I could feel my temper starting to fray. “They won't though will they? They don't care! After all, what did he do? He just arranged for a human to be killed! That's fine by them isn't it?” I snapped, furiously. “He's very useful to them. Isn't that what Ulrich said? The fact that he's as crazy as a box of frogs means nothing to them! This is bloody Lazlo all over again!” I threw myself down on the sofa in frustration. 

Then I noticed the odd look on Bill's face. “What?” I asked. “You know something about Lazlo? You do, don't you!”

“I saw him recently, at Mab's court. Let's just say I wouldn't wish his fate on anyone......well except possibly Alberic!”

“Why? What's happened to him?” I asked.

Bill sat down on the sofa beside me and told me what he had seen in Faerie.

I sat beside Bill, my head on his shoulder, trying to sort out my feelings. I hated Lazlo, that was certainly true. I wouldn't have been sorry if Bill had told me that Mab had killed him. I hated him not only for what he had done to Bill and I but for what he had done to Azaria..... and yet, what Mab had done, was still doing to him was beyond anything I had imagined. Part of me, the part that remained human, felt sorry for his suffering but there was another part of me which revelled in it! A part of me which felt that he deserved all the agony that Mab could put him through.

I was shocked at myself. I buried my face in Bill's chest and I felt his hand stroke the back of my head. He took my face between his hands and turned my head so that I was looking up at him. 

“You don't like the idea of him suffering?” he whispered.

“I'm sorry!” I murmured. “You must think me foolish....weak!”

Bill leaned down and kissed me softly. “No! Not at all......listen, let me tell you what you're thinking. Part of you is delighted to hear of his suffering, and part of you is disgusted by it. Am I right?”

“Yes......”

“The part that is pleased by it is the vampire in you. There is something in us that delights in the pain and humiliation of others. The other part....that is the human in you, that can show compassion even to someone like Lazlo. Don't ever apologize for that Alex! You must hold onto it if you are not to fall into the darkness as I did....”

He held me in his arms and we sat watching the flames until the fire died down and it was time to retire for the day.

 

It was the very next evening that I went into Bill’s study looking for a pen and noticed the crate from the Library standing in the corner of the room. The lid was propped up next to it and I went over and looked inside. Bill had removed a lot of the books and they were piled up on his desk but there were still a few inside and one in particular caught my eye. It was a slim volume bound in what looked like a pale parchment. I reached in and picked it up then immediately dropped it again. It felt…….wrong, somehow. Almost….greasy against my fingers.

I stared at it for a moment until my curiosity got the better of me and I reached in and picked it up carefully between my thumb and forefinger. I carried it over to Bill’s desk and dropped it, wiping my hand on my trousers. On closer examination I saw that it wasn’t parchment at all but some kind of thin leather. I sat down in Bill’s chair and examined it more closely still. It was pale and soft, not tanned. I jerked my head back realising what this meant. It was skin! Urrggh! There was nothing inscribed on the cover so I picked up a letter opener and gingerly opened the cover. The book was written in Latin but there was one word at the top which I recognised. “Grimoire”. Suddenly several things that had puzzled me began to fit together.

Just then I heard a creak and turned to see Bill put his head round the door.

“Here you are. I might have known! Books seem to attract you like a magnet.” He walked over to me. “Alex? Are you okay?”

“Look at this” I said, tapping the book with the letter opener, unwilling to touch it again.

Bill reached over to pick up the book. “What is it? Oh!” he dropped it hurriedly. “What is that? It feels like………skin!” 

“I don’t think I want to know!” I said. “Can you read Latin, Bill? All I did at school was Caesar’s Commentaries on the Gallic Wars and somehow I don’t think that’s likely to help here!”

“Why? What is it?” he asked looking over my shoulder.

“I think it’s some kind of Grimoire. That’s a book of magic, right? Black magic?”

Bill leaned forward, his head next to mine and examined the first page. “I think you’re right” he murmured, turning a page, this says……to….something, an enemy. To destroy an enemy. To summon….something…..”

“And this word” I pointed a finger, careful not to touch the book itself. “Sanguis, that’s blood, isn’t it?”

“Blood sacrifice……” said Bill slowly. “Where did you get this?”

“It was in the crate from the Library.”

“I never asked for this!” Bill glanced at the crate. “It doesn’t have a Library stamp on it. Where on earth did it come from?”

I sat back in the chair. “I think it’s Alberic’s!”

“Why on earth would you think that?” laughed Bill. “Sure, he’s a nasty piece of work, but a black magician?”

“Well it had to be in his office right? Or else how did it get in the crate?” I said “Perhaps it was on his desk and got picked up and put in the crate with the rest by accident? And there’s something else. When we were at the Authority meeting he came in after us and he didn’t look in our direction. He didn’t see you until you stood up and I noticed that he looked surprised to see you, he didn’t expect you to be there. Now, I can understand why he was surprised to see me, but why you?”

Bill knelt on the floor beside me and leaned on my shoulder. “Perhaps he thought I’d be too upset to attend? That I’d be grieving for you?” He turned his head and kissed my cheek. “As indeed I would have been.”

I turned to face him and pressed my lips against his. His hand slipped up into my hair as he deepened the kiss and I leaned forwards into his waiting arms. After a few moments I reluctantly broke the kiss. “Okay, but what if that wasn’t the reason?” I said. “What if he was surprised because he expected you to be dead as well?”

Bill sat back on his heels and looked at me seriously. “Now why on earth would he possibly expect that?” he asked.

“Well think about this Bill. These spells are to harm an enemy, to summon something…..what if he tried to use my death to summon something to kill you too?”

“You mean he offered your death as a gift to some……demon?” asked Bill.

“A blood sacrifice isn’t a gift Bill, it’s a trade! A deal. I think he was offering my death, my blood, in exchange for yours. Remember that piece of parchment Ulrich’s men found on him? We never found out what that was did we? What if it was a spell to summon something from Fae? You had deprived him of a book of Fae magic. He seemed to me like the kind of creep who would think it poetic justice to use the magic of the Fae…….my magic, against you.”

Bill stood up slowly, thinking. Then he reached forwards and opened a drawer in his desk, pulling out the parchment. “I didn’t think this was important at the time. We thought that Ulrich would deal with Alberic……but I think we’d better find out what this is. Fortunately we know someone who can translate it for us.”

Bill touched a fingertip to the opal ring he wore. We went out into the open hallway and within a few moments Queen Mab stepped out of the portal in the great Inglenook fireplace. 

“You wished to speak with me William?” she asked.

“Please sit down my Lady” said Bill politely. 

Mab lowered herself gracefully onto the sofa and looked up at Bill questioningly.

“I told you that we had discovered who arranged for the attack on Alex” he said.

Mab's eyes flashed red for a moment. “You told me that your “Authority” would deal with him.” she said. “Is that not the case?”

Bill paused for a moment. “I sincerely hope so, but I must admit that I'm beginning to wonder.... However, when they searched him they found something in his pocket. They've passed it to me and I wonder if you could help us with it?” He held out the parchment. 

She took the piece of parchment and examined it curiously. “Where did he get this?” she asked.

“We don't know. Could he have copied it from the Book of Flowers?” asked Bill.

“No” she answered without hesitation. “This is not Fae lore. But it is connected to us. This is an incantation to summon a powerful lord of Faerie. One whom you have met William!”

She turned to me. “This spell was found on the vampire who arranged the attack on you Alexandra?”

“Apparently, yes.” I answered. “It is a spell then? He was practising some kind of magic?”

“Why would you think that?” Her eyes gleamed as she watched me.

“We found a book that we think belongs to him. A book of black magic.”

Mab sat back with a smile. “Yes, that would fit. I think that it is also significant that you were left under the trees. I believe that you were left there as a sacrifice to summon the Wild Hunt!”


	21. Chapter 21

Bill and I were both shocked into silence for a moment.

“You mean I was right!” I asked, astonished.

She smiled at me. “You must learn to trust your instincts Alexandra. They will serve you well.”

“But wait a minute, how did he know what it was?” asked Bill. “He couldn't read the Fae script!”

“He might have known what it was even though he couldn't read it himself” I said thoughtfully. “The Wild Hunt isn't exactly a secret after all is it? I've heard of a book written by a German author containing essays about the Erlking. One of those is supposed to be an incantation to summon him. It's a very rare book, there are only half a dozen copies known to be in existence but I'll bet Alberic has one. Or he knows how to get hold of one.”

“How would that help him?” asked Bill, sounding puzzled.

“Well, if he knew that the Fae manuscript was the summoning incantation and he also had the same incantation in German in the book then he could use the German version to translate the Fae characters. The same way Champollion used the Rosetta Stone to translate hieroglyphics, the proclamation carved on the stone was written in Greek as well. If you understand one language then you can use it to translate the other......” another thought occurred to me. “If that's true and he really was able to translate the Fae script then that's another reason for him to be mad at you for taking the Book of Flowers from him just as he was on the verge of being able to read it.”

Bill sat down beside me and considered this. “But the summoning didn't appear to work! Why was that I wonder?”

Mab stood up. “Well, there's one way to find out. We should ask him!” She closed her eyes and concentrated for a moment, while Bill and I looked at each other.

“Come!” Mab got up and strode towards the garden door with the two of us hurrying in her wake. She opened the door and stepped out onto the moonlit lawn, Bill and I close behind. I immediately noticed a chill in the air. At first I thought nothing of it but then I realised that Bill was looking a little concerned as well. 

“Do you feel that too?” I whispered. 

“Yes! That's not normal” he whispered back. “I've felt it once before......look!” 

He pointed towards the orchard on the far side of the lawn and I saw that it appeared darker than it should, as though there was a heavy mist inside. As I peered into the darkness I could just see the forms of men on horseback and great shadowy hounds. Then one of the misty images moved forward and solidified as it came out of the ghostly light of the orchard and onto the lawn.

Even though it was now only about ten feet away, somehow I could still not see it clearly. I could just make out the shape of a man on a great black horse. Both he and his mount appeared to be surrounded by a cloak of mist and he wore a helmet with a pair of antlers on it giving him the appearance of an enormous stag. The only touches of colour on the pair were the eyes of both the rider and the horse which burned a deep red, and the inside of the nostrils of the great horse which also glowed red in the darkness.

“I wish you good hunting this night my Lord!” said Mab. 

The Faery Lord nodded politely to her.

“I have a question for you my Lord.” she said. “Have you received a summons from this place recently. A call of blood?”

The voice was deep and rich and somehow cold, with an echo which suggested that it was coming from the depths of some dark cave. “Indeed I have, some weeks ago I felt it, it was a powerful call but it was incomplete. The incantation was flawed and besides, the woman’s soul did not depart.” 

I glanced at Bill who was looking as surprised at this statement as I was.

The great horned head turned in Mab’s direction. “You interfered My Lady!”

“Of course I did My Lord!” she answered. “The call was powerful because she has our blood. It was Fae blood that was spilled that night. Besides, William is my ambassador and my friend. I owe him a great debt, we both do…..”

The blazing eyes turned back to Bill. “You are the one who returned the Book?” The head lowered slightly in a nod of respect. “Then I would be pleased to have you and your woman join the hunt.” His eyes glowed brighter for a second. “To summon us in that way is a dangerous undertaking. It gives the summoner power over us, but only if he succeeds. If he fails........”

A spark appeared in Bill’s eyes. “And so who do we hunt this night my Lord? The one who tried to summon you, the one who was responsible….Alberic?”

“This Alberic…..he is vampire?” asked the Hunter.

“Is that possible?” I asked curiously. The great head turned towards me and I immediately wished I’d left the talking to Bill. His red eyes stared into mine, waiting.

“Well…..um…..I mean….you’re a Psychopomp right? One who escorts the souls of the dead to the next world?”

He nodded slowly. Okay, this was the big question.

“So do vampires actually have souls?”

There was a pause while he considered this.

“They are not as clear nor as strong as human souls, but they are there. There has to be something to animate the flesh. Generally they burn lower with age until a mere spark remains, but not always.” He turned to Bill. “Your flame burns brightly for a creature of your age, as does your woman’s although, of course, she is very young.”

“If we take what little remains of Alberic’s soul, what will happen to him?” asked Bill.

“He will meet what you call ‘the True Death’”. 

Bill gave a smile almost as cold as Mab’s. “Then I’ll gladly join your hunt my Lord. I have vowed to destroy Alberic for what he did to my wife!”

We were unable to see the Hunter’s face and so I couldn’t really say how I knew that he was pleased by this response. “Do you have a suitable mount, vampire?” he asked.

Bill stepped back into the barn and came out again a moment later leading Oberon. The great black stallion threw his head up and snorted at the sight of the shadowy horses and hounds of the Wild Hunt, now spread out across the immaculate lawn and back into the orchard.

“A magnificent animal!” said the Hunter, admiration evident in his tone.

“But mortal” said Bill. “Will he be able to join us?”

“My power will protect him until you return here.” The glowing eyes turned back to me. “And your woman, will she join us?”

Bill looked a little surprised at this suggestion but turned to me, his bright blue eyes alight with excitement.

Until this moment it had not occurred to me that I might be involved in this in any way but as I gazed back at him I realized that I had nothing to fear. I was vampire, and I was Fae. This magic was mine and it would enable me to take my revenge. I thought about what Alberic had done. How happy Bill and I were together and how he could have destroyed what we had without a thought other than that he wished to punish Bill, and for the first time in my life I truly wished someone dead.

I was a little shocked at myself and wondered if, perhaps, it was the first indication of the humanity Bill had spoken of, leaking away. I reached for his hand.

“Should I go Bill? I want to, I want him dead. Is that wrong of me?”

He gathered me up in his arms and kissed me. “No! of course not sweetheart.”

“I’ve never really wanted anyone dead before Bill, what’s happening to me?” I asked beginning to feel panicky.

“Nothing! Nothing is wrong with you. He tried to destroy you Alex, to destroy everything we have together. And all because of a book that he couldn’t even read! You have every right to wish him dead! This is not the same as what we discussed about Lazlo. There has to be a balance, a punishment which fits his crime. The Old Testament was right in this case. _“An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.......a life for a life.” ___Alberic has taken countless lives in his time but with you he failed, and for that he must pay the price. Yes, you should come with us. This is your chance for revenge and you should take it……”

I straightened up. “Yes, I want to come with you!”

Bill smiled. “Good girl….let’s get you mounted then.”

He tied Oberon’s halter rope to the rail outside the stable door and brought out Titania, her pale coat almost glowing in the moonlight. It was only then that I noticed that the moon was full again. As it had been when I had lain bleeding on the river bank. It seemed like a lifetime ago…..as in some ways, it was.

Bill and I saddled our horses in silence, feeling the eyes of the creatures of the Wild Hunt on us all the time, and mounted up. Queen Mab stepped up to my side and took my hand. “This was a brave decision child. I am proud of you. You are a worthy bearer of our blood.”

I thought of Lazlo and wondered for a moment if that was actually a good thing. Then I heard the faint sound of a hunting horn and we were off across the fields. At first I concentrated on Bill but after a moment I looked down and realised that we were travelling, at a smooth gallop, several feet above the grass and rising...... I tightened my grip on the saddle as we gained altitude, rising into the clouds and headed east, for London and the Authority.


	22. Chapter 22

I woke the next evening lying in bed next to Bill. I had a strong feeling of deja vu. Just as I had on the first evening I woke with him after he had turned me, I wondered if the events of the previous night had been some strange dream. I stared up at the ceiling and tried to recall exactly what had happened but I could only bring back snatches of memory and they were fading even as I remembered them, like the wisps of dreams in the morning. We had ridden off, Bill and I on either side of the horned God, surrounded by the shadowy forms of mounted men and hounds. Those who, if I recalled the legends correctly, had chosen to joint the hunt rather than die, fated now to follow the Hunter for all eternity.

I didn't remember much of the journey itself until we arrived over London and sank down through the clouds, following the river towards the centre of the City where the Authority had their headquarters. I certainly remembered racing up Lombard Street in the middle of a group of horsemen about ten feet above the road, looking down on a stream of traffic passing beneath our pounding hooves. Then suddenly we were heading straight for the wall of the building which I recognised as the one beneath which the headquarters of the Vampire Authority lay.

I remember thinking that, now that I was vampire, I probably wouldn't die if I hit the wall flat out, but I had a second to worry about what might happen to Titania before we passed straight though the wall and emerged on the other side to find that we were riding down the centre of the main dealing room of one of London's biggest stockbrokers!

When I first visited the Authority in London I had thought it apt that their headquarters was here since I felt that stockbrokers had a lot in common with vampires.......certainly, they kept similar hours. At any time of the day or night there was a market open somewhere and so, although it was about three in the morning, the dealing room was busy with brokers shouting into telephones and typing into ranks of computer terminals. However, the Hunt appeared to be at the centre of a fine grey mist and, it seemed, was just as insubstantial since no one appeared to notice us as we swept down the room and out into the hallway beyond where the Hunter pulled up his great black horse in the centre of the elaborate marble floor.

He turned his head towards Bill and the deep rich voice echoed through the halls. “Do you know where to find this vampire?” he asked.

“Yes, I do” answered Bill.

“Then you shall lead us.....”

Bill looked down at the marble. “We need to go down, three floors?”

The mist around us thickened abruptly and when it cleared we were in a narrow dark corridor. Bill turned Oberon to the right and the ghostly hunt followed him into the darkness.

The doors to the Museum were made of heavy oak, bound with brass and, more to the point, locked and guarded by two uniformed vampires. However we simply rode through them unseen as we had before. Bill led the hunt through the halls of the Museum and the Library the glint of gold flashing by on either side until we rode through the closed doors of an office at the very furthest end of the long series of rooms.

Alberic was sitting behind a desk and looked up as we entered. He alone, of all the people we had seen this night, was able to see us. He staggered to his feet and I stared down at him shocked once again by his dull, bland mediocrity. This was him? The creature who had arranged my murder? This frightened, balding man?

The great horned head turned to Bill again. 

“This is Alberic” said Bill coldly.

Before he could move, a long lance appeared in the Hunter's hand and he thrust it into the centre of Alberic's chest then pulled it straight back out again.

Alberic gave a high pitched shriek and clutched at his chest, feeling for any injury, but there appeared to be nothing. He looked puzzled and stared up at us with a wide eyed panic. It was then that I noticed the spark clinging to the end of the lance. Suddenly he began to scream. Terrified, agonised screams that went on and on until I felt I couldn't bear it any longer and then, as we watched, he began to crumple and then collapsed on the office floor in a pool of blood. The Hunter's spear had ripped away his soul.

I blinked and saw the familiar ceiling of our bedroom. Bill was lying on his side watching me.

“Did that really happen?” I whispered. “Or did I just dream it? That we rode to London and killed Alberic?”

“It really happened!” he replied. “Unless I dreamed the same thing….”

I turned to look at him. “Do you remember coming home?”

“Only vaguely…..the whole episode is vague, as if my memory has been blurred somehow.”

“The horses!” I sat up suddenly. “We should go and check on them.”

I jumped out of bed, pulling on a dressing gown and raced up the stairs and out of the kitchen door. I heard Bill pulling on a pair of trousers and following me. The barn doors were closed and I pulled one side open cautiously and peered inside. I was struck with a memory of the first time I had opened the barn doors to find Titania inside. Then I had barely been able to see anything but now the faint moonlight was enough to show me both stables quite clearly. I looked over the half door and saw Titania calmly reaching up and pulling a mouthful of hay from the net hanging on the side of the loose box. Oberon pushed his head over the other door and snorted at me.

“Everything okay?” asked Bill from behind me.

“Looks like it” I said. “Although I have absolutely no memory of getting back here!”

Just then I heard a phone ringing and Bill reached into his pocket and looked at the screen. He held up a hand. “Ulrich!” he said. I stood silently watching him as he answered the call, listening to the one-sided conversation. 

“Hello Ulrich?” 

“I’m at home at the Mill House.”

“Yes, Alex is here with me, why do you ask?”

“Really? Alberic’s dead?” Bill's eyes flicked over to me.

“And the doors were all still locked?”

“Yes…..I can come up to meet with you, no problem.

“Fine. I’ll see you later.”

Bill closed the phone thoughtfully. “Well, it happened all right. Alberic’s remains were found when Ulrich went in to see him this evening. The guards were still on duty and the doors were locked.” He gave me an evil smile. “It’s a mystery!”

I stood watching him, somehow this confirmation that the events of the previous night had been real was unnerving. 

“Alex? Are you okay?” asked Bill stepping towards me.

“I……I don’t know. He’s really dead? We killed him?”

Bill’s eyes hardened. “You know he deserved it Alex.” Then he gave me a patient little smile and wrapped his arms around me. “Oh my precious sweetheart, you’re so tender hearted aren’t you?”

He brushed the hair back from my face and held his hand to my cheek. “Now listen carefully Alex, this is your first real lesson. You’ve lived with vampires long enough to understand us. The Council members and the Authority may not be pleased by Alberic’s death but they’ll never know exactly what happened unless we choose to tell them. They will, however, guess it has something to do with what happened to you. They know you have Fae blood and are acquainted with Queen Mab. They will certainly suspect that you ordered his death somehow but they’ll never be able to prove it!”

I must have looked frightened by this prospect as he took my face between his hands and drew me closer. “Trust me, they will respect you for it. Don’t be afraid Alex, although we have changed since the Revelation we still live in a very Feudal society. The strong survive and the weak go to the wall. You are strong Alex. You can walk that line, you can do this and still retain your compassion. But it should be reserved for those who deserve it and Alberic was not one of those! You know that dealing with vampires is like dealing with any dangerous animal….you must never show fear! Alberic deserved to die for what he did to us and his fate will mean that others will think twice before they cross you.”


	23. Chapter 23

Since Ulrich had not mentioned me bringing her with me, I managed to persuade Alex to remain at home while I went up to London alone.

I was expecting to meet the rest of the Council so I was surprised, when I opened the double doors which led into the conference room, to find Ulrich there alone. He was standing beside the table watching me as I walked up to him.

“Am I early?” I asked, looking around the empty room.

“I wanted to speak to you alone, face to face” he said. “I have a couple of questions for you and I want the truth Bill!”

I must admit that I was somewhat shocked by his tone, but I remained silent, waiting.

“Did you kill Alberic?” he asked bluntly.

“No! I did not!”

“Did Queen Mab kill him?”

“No, she did not!”

He gave me a cold stare. “You'd better not be lying to me Bill!” he said.

I felt the anger rising up in me again. That same cold fury I had felt when I believed that Alex was gone. That I had lost her for good. That there was no longer any point in my existence. I walked around the table and stood in front of him.

“Or what Ulrich?” I asked. “What will you do?”

He opened his mouth to speak but I held up a hand. “No, don't say anything. Just listen, and listen carefully because I will only ever say this to you once. We all have something within us Ulrich, a beast....... a monster. You know this as well as I do. Well mine is more dangerous than most. Do you know why that is? It's because it has tasted power! The power of a goddess! I could have retained that power for myself but for one thing...... Alex! 

She kept me sane. It was my love for her that brought me back from the brink of total destruction. Most vampires seem to fear love because they think it makes you weak, but they're wrong. It makes you strong. It was love that gave me the strength to fight back. But make no mistake Ulrich, that power is still within my grasp. That and more! The power of an ancient Goddess and a Queen of the Fae. They owe me, both of them and more than that, they desire me! If Alex were gone...... If I were to give them what they truly want from me then the destruction of this Authority is the very least that I could accomplish.”

“Why would you do such a thing?” he whispered into the heavy silence that hung between us.

“There doesn't have to be a reason Ulrich! When I thought that I had lost her I would have torn down everything. Dragged the whole of civilisation down into the abyss with me if I had thought that it would ease my pain for just a moment!

There was a cold silence during which we stared at each other, both of us shocked by the intensity of my sudden outburst. “So what shall I tell the High Council?” he asked.

“You will simply announce that Alberic is dead. There will be no investigation and we will never, ever speak of this again!”

I turned on my heel and walked out. Down past the long conference table, past the pool and through the ornate Byzantine columns and I felt Ulrich's eyes on me the whole way.

I had almost reached the door when he called to me.

“Bill!.....wait!”

He walked slowly down the length of the room towards me.

“I…..I’m sorry Bill. I’ve known Alberic for a very, very long time. His death was a shock, but equally, what he tried to do to you was inexcusable. I have to admit that perhaps we didn’t take it as seriously as we should have. It’s difficult for us to see being turned as a bad thing….”

“That wasn’t his intention Ulrich” I said quietly. “He intended that she should die, and if Queen Mab had not intervened, she would have died. More than that, he intended that her death should be a blood sacrifice to bring about my death as well.”

Ulrich stared at me, his mouth slack with surprise. “What? He tried to kill you as well?”

“The parchment that you gave me – the one you found in his jacket pocket? It was an incantation to summon the Wild Hunt. Fortunately for me the blood sacrifice failed and, since the Hunt is led by a powerful lord of Faerie whom I happened to have met, I was able to turn it to our advantage.”

Ulrich stood watching me for a moment, thinking. “So it was this…..Faerie Lord who killed him?”

“Yes.” I gave him a hard stare. “But understand Ulrich, if he hadn’t done it, I would have!”

His eyes widened. “You were there?”

“Yes, both Alex and I joined the Wild Hunt, we were there. He tried to destroy us and he failed. It was our right to claim him.”

Ulrich sighed and held out his hand to me. “Alberic was an old friend, but I cannot condone his actions. I can only assume that age and isolation had warped his mind. I consider you a good friend too Bill, I wouldn’t want this to come between us.”

I took his hand in mine. “Of course not! As I said, we need never speak of this again.”

He turned to walk away but I stopped him. “Just one more thing...You'll also need to deal with Ed's family.”

“Ed?” asked Ulrich. “Who the hell's Ed?”

“Edward Harris?” I said patiently. “You remember him? One of my security guards? The one your old friend Alberic's pals shot in the head? Stan was single and had no family but Ed was married. He had two young children. The Authority will be paying them a pension. A substantial pension!”

Ulrich sighed. “Yes.....of course.”


	24. Chapter 24

It was a few nights later that I woke at dusk from a rather disturbing dream. I was in an empty room which seemed to be expanding around me. I could see a door but, no matter how hard I tried I couldn’t reach it. I could feel myself struggling in a panic and then suddenly I felt arms around me and I knew that I was safe.

I woke to find Bill holding me in his arms and gently stroking my hair. “Shhh….sweetheart, It’s okay, everything’s okay….” He murmured softly.

I blinked up at him, feeling the warmth of his love flowing into me through the bond.

“Bad dream?” he asked sympathetically. “When I was first turned I had nightmares every day, you’re doing very well! But then, my whole existence was a nightmare…….”

I cuddled up against him, trying to find the words to explain my strange dream. “I was alone in this great empty space…..it was just expanding, getting bigger and bigger. I think maybe my subconscious has just caught on to the fact that I’m immortal. That, barring accidents, I’m going to live forever…..and it just couldn’t cope.” I put a hand on his chest, my fingertips running through the soft fur that ran down to his belly. “It’s terrifying when you actually think about it. Everything is just opening up before you and I was alone in the emptiness until I felt your arms around me.” I smiled up at him.

“While I walk this earth you will never be alone” he whispered. “I promise you that.” 

I felt his soft lips brush my cheek, searching for mine and I turned my head and melted into his kiss. We lay together, our naked bodies moulded against each other, Bill’s hand gently caressing my back as you would soothe a frightened kitten and I relaxed against him feeling safe and protected as I always did in his arms.

The hand stroking my back slid down to my thigh and lifted my leg, pulling it up over his hip. I began to stroke his leg with my toes as his tongue gently parted my lips and began to explore, trailing delicately over the inside of my bottom lip. At exactly the same time, with neither of us breathing a word, he moved his hand to my back and pulled me closer deepening the kiss and I grasped his hip and pulled him closer, our bodies sliding together in a familiar, unconscious intimacy. 

I relaxed into his arms just as we heard a knock at the outer door.

“What the devil.......?” Bill released me and sat up.

“I'm sorry to disturb you Mr Compton” came a faint voice from the stairs outside the heavy security door. “But a visitor has arrived for you.”

“Who is it?” asked Bill.

“Herr Von Schröder sir.” came the answer.

Bill flung himself back on the pillows. “What is it with that man?”

“I've said it before, he's got impeccable timing!” I giggled.

“Tell him to make himself at home!” called Bill. “I'll be with him.....” he looked down at me “.........shortly!”

“Shortly” turned out to be about half an hour since Bill was determined that our lovemaking was not to be hurried by Ulrich. He liked to take things slow but in deference to our visitor he speeded up a little and when we arrived upstairs we found Urich sitting on one of the sofas which flanked the great Inglenook fireplace reading a newspaper with a glass of Tru Blood beside him on the table.

He folded the paper and looked up at us. “I hope I haven't interrupted anything important?” he asked with a sly smile. I blushed slightly as I realised that he knew exactly what we were doing!

“Not at all!” answered Bill, sitting down opposite him. He gave him a big smile. “You didn't interrupt us, what can I do for you Ulrich?”

Ulrich sat up and looked at Bill seriously. “I'd like your opinion on something. Now that Alberic is dead several members of the High Council have approached me suggesting that we dispose of his human accomplices.”

“Dispose of them? How?” asked Bill, sounding puzzled.

“You're not suggesting that you would just reassign them somewhere else are you?” I asked, incensed.

Now it was Ulrich's turn to look puzzled. “Of course not! We would simply execute them!” he said calmly.

For a moment I couldn't believe I'd heard him correctly.

“The only problem is that I told Inspector Felton we'd hand them over if we found them so I'll have to tell him our investigations got nowhere. It's extremely annoying! Alberic's put me in a very difficult position!”

“Put you in a difficult position!” gasped Bill. “Ulrich! He tried to kill Alex! Does that mean nothing to you?” 

Ulrich hissed indignantly. “Why do you think I'm so angry with him?” he asked.

“Oh come on!” snapped Bill. “You're not fooling anyone! You're not angry because he committed a terrible crime! You're not angry because he ordered two of his guards to kill two more of our men. You're angry because he got caught! What worries you is not that Alberic could attempt to kill my wife and two of my security guards but that their trial might bring you and the Authority into disrepute!”

Bill glared at Ulrich furiously for a moment and then heaved an exasperated sigh. “You can't do that Ulrich. You have to hand them over to the Police. We have to show ourselves to be trustworthy, don't you see that? They are humans, they just happen to work for us. They will be put on trial in an open court and Alex will have to give evidence against them.”

Damn! I hadn't thought of that!

“They will, hopefully, be convicted and punished according the Law. Their Law Ulrich! Not our mediaeval Law, but theirs.”

Ulrich sighed. “It would be so much easier just to execute them!” he grumbled.

Bill put his hands to his face and gave a hopeless little groan. “Look at you! The great Ulrich Von Schröeder, the public face of the Vampire Authority...........” I saw Ulrich tense as Bill leaned forward and plucked a tiny thread from the lapel of his tailored jacket. “........with your expensive Paul Smith suits and your expertise at diplomacy. And yet human life still means so little to you! We will never be able to live alongside them in peace unless we can understand them Ulrich! Unless we can respect them.”

“You're surely not suggesting that they could ever be our equals?” asked Ulrich sounding shocked.

“Oh we far surpass them in many things. Strength, speed....... viciousness! But they have other qualities, ones we appear to lack. Love, compassion......forgiveness.....”

Ulrich gave a short laugh. “That's a trait that you've shown yourself to be singularly lacking in recently” he said coldly.

“I am not human Ulrich” said Bill calmly “I am vampire! But although I have little forgiveness in me, I can at least recognise it in others.” he paused for a moment as if considering whether to go on. “Ed's wife......his widow.....comes here sometimes at the weekends. Did you know that?” 

I saw Ulrich's brow furrow for a moment and then clear as he recalled who Ed was.

“The other guards take it in turns to bring her and her two little boys. They play badminton on the lawn and chase each other through the orchard. They paddle their canoes up the river to the millpond. They come during the daytime while I sleep, but once she stayed until after dusk because she wanted to see me.” Bill's beautiful face was quite blank but a tear appeared in the corner of his eye. “She thanked me Ulrich! I don't know how she could bear to look at me, but she thanked me! For allowing her children to play in the grounds of my house! The children whose father is dead because I gave back the Book of Flowers. I thought I was doing the right thing......”

“You couldn't possibly have known Bill. You couldn't have foreseen how he would react” I whispered.

“No I couldn't” he agreed. “But afterwards I was consumed by my desire for revenge. All I wanted was to see Alberic die the true death. Don't misunderstand me Ulrich, I don't regret it. I'm glad he's dead, he deserved to die. But nothing has changed has it? Nothing we could do, no punishment we could have meted out to Alberic or to his men will bring those boys' father back.”

Bill pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and dabbed at his eye. “She knows that. She knows that what's done is done and cannot be changed. She has to move on. She has to bring up those boys alone and she can't afford to waste time brooding on the past. That's where they're different from us Ulrich. They can't afford to waste their time on things they can't change. They have to accept it and move on. And when we can learn to do that perhaps we'll be getting closer to equal! Perhaps then we'll be able to show them some respect.”

Ulrich was silent as Bill turned and walked over to where I was sitting curled up on the sofa. I held out my hand to him......God, I was so proud of him! He was vampire, forgiveness simply wasn't in his nature. I knew that now, I could feel it in me. But he tried so hard...... He couldn't forgive Alberic, and I couldn't blame him for that, but he was determined that the men who were following his orders would not suffer worse punishment from the Authority but would be handed over to the Police.

Ulrich sat down heavily on the other sofa. “Yes......I guess you're right. I needed to hear someone say it and no-one in London argues with me the way you do!”

He looked over at us sitting hand in hand on the opposite sofa. “Well that wasn't the only reason I came to see you tonight Bill” he said with a little smile. “After all the trouble you've caused me I think I've finally devised a sufficiently terrible punishment for you.”

Bill stared at him for a moment, clearly not sure if he was serious.

Ulrich gave him a positively wolfish smile. “Since your progeny has deprived me of a Librarian I think it's only fair that she should take his place.”

Bill sat frozen for a second or two and then put his head in his hands in a theatrical gesture of horror. “Oh no!.....please, not that..........if she once gets into that Library I'll never see her again!”

I laughed. “Don't be silly Ulrich! I couldn't possibly take over the Library!”

“Oh I don't just mean the Library!” he said firmly. “I mean the Museum as well!”.

It was my turn to act horrified. “No....seriously, I couldn't!”

“Bill tells me you love books. Every time I come here you've got your nose in a book!”

“Well.......yes I do, but I don't have the experience! There's thousands of years of knowledge in your Library. I could never cope with that!”

“You wouldn't be completely on your own. Alberic has had assistants in the past, although most have left after a couple of decades at the most.” Ulrich's forehead creased in thought. “Come to think of it, perhaps that should have given us some kind of warning. No-one seemed to able to work with him for any length of time.......”

“So.......I'd have help?” I asked tentatively.

“Sure!” 

I thought of another problem. “But most of the oldest of those scrolls will be written in Latin or Greek. I can't even read them.”

“Then you'll have to learn!” he said flatly. He really seemed to be getting enthusiastic about this. 

“But I.....” I was about to say that I had better things to do with my time when I realised that, in fact, I didn't! Why shouldn't I learn Latin and Greek? After all, I had all the time in the world now didn't I? I thought of my dream, of my terror at the blank space opening up before me and I suddenly understood that it was actually a blessing. I could do anything I liked, go anywhere I wanted to. I looked at Bill and saw him smiling at me.

“Yes” he said, clearly reading my mind. “Anything you like!”

I gazed up at him, his smile warming and comforting me. “You really think I could do this?” 

“I have every confidence in you sweetheart” he said. “You can do anything you set your mind to.”


End file.
